


Matchmaker Koushi

by Ms_Mars



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Asexual Relationship, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, Haikyuu!! Manga Spoilers, Injury, M/M, Minor Injuries, Multi, Open Relationships, Pining, Polyamory, Sleepovers, Swearing, Team as Family, Tropes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-02 10:21:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23969791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ms_Mars/pseuds/Ms_Mars
Summary: Suga had always had an obsession with love: romantic poems scrawled on the edge of his class notes, and two shelves of his dvd collection dedicated to so-called ‘chick flicks’, but he had been focused on his love of volleyball for years, and those two interests had never collided… until now.This team was his family. He adored each and every one of them. They deserved the world. They deserved joy and love in their lives.He wanted to help them achieve that.-Ships will be tagged as they appear. Thank you for reading!
Relationships: Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, Michimiya Yui/Sawamura Daichi, Sugawara Koushi & Everyone, Takeda Ittetsu/Ukai Keishin, Tsukishima Kei/Yachi Hitoka/Yamaguchi Tadashi, Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 21
Kudos: 67





	1. Prologue: Something Borrowed

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoy~ <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little backstory to start us off. Virtual high-five for anyone who knows which film I based this scene on!

Sugawara Koushi had seemingly always been in love with love. His hopeless romantic tendencies had started when he was quite young.

He had been seven years old when his family traveled to Kyoto for his cousin Sumire’s wedding reception. She had gone the traditional route, having walked in her kimono to a shrine in the crisp fall morning for the ceremony with only a few select attendees. The reception was much later in the afternoon at a large hotel with, in Koushi’s opinion, too many guests.

Little Koushi had been humming under his breath and kicking his legs against the too hard, too tall, perfectly white chair in the overly-crowded banquet room, impatient for the party to start after having traveled all morning. His mother quietly suggested he go see the marble statues in the lobby while they waited to pass the time, and he leapt at the idea of freedom.

Rushing down the hallway out to the lobby, he had heard a voice that gave him pause, “Shit!” His mother had said that was a bad word, and his curiosity got the better of him.

Koushi poked his head in through the crack of the open door to see his cousin gripping her fancy hairdo and groaning, “Fuck!”

He squeaked at her loud curse, and she flipped around towards the doorway, “Oh, Kou-kun, I’m so sorry!”

“That’s okay. I’ve heard it on the train before.” He glanced closer at her red face and noticed her eyes were glossy. “Are you alright?”

“Oh, it’s nothing for you to worry about, dear. I was just changing into my white dress and the sleeve got caught. See?” She bent down to show him the rip along her shoulder.

She turned away and began to pace, muttering under her breath, “I wonder if any of the guests would have a sewing kit. If so, I could stitch it up real quick. Although, I’m not that good at hand-sewing. It would probably look ugly and obvious. Oh, I sure hope this isn’t an omen!” She sighed and dropped onto the makeup stool behind her.

Suga pondered her predicament. His eyes searched the room for a solution. He glanced down, and the idea sparked. He leaned up towards her and whispered as if he was telling her one of the great secrets of the universe, “Hmmm… Sumire-san, if people are gonna notice your shoulder either way, why not make it look on purpose?”

“I don’t follow, Kou-kun.”

“Isn’t there an English saying about weddings? Something about the color blue!”

“Something old, Something new, Something borrowed, Something blue?” She recited.

“Yes, that one!” Koushi grinned as he yanked apart his perfectly tucked bowtie. He hated how tight it was on his neck the whole ride here and was honestly glad to be rid of it. He motioned his cousin to lean down closer and pulled the tie ends through the open lacework of her sleeve and neckline. He twisted them back and forth twice before tying the end in a bow.

“There! You have something borrowed and blue now! How does it look?”

Sumire turned towards the mirror and sniffled loudly before flipping around to drag him into her arms, “It’s perfect Koushi! You really saved the day! I’ll have the waiters send you an extra plate of the spicy tuna. Your mother says you like hot foods, right?”

An hour later when the speeches were wrapping up, Sumire sent a smile and thumbs up his way before gazing lovingly into her new husband’s eyes. Koushi’s stomach grew warm with spice and affection, and he knew how wonderful it felt to help someone be happy with their special someone.

He was hooked on that feeling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Time: Koushi stumbles upon a romantic scene between members of a rival volleyball team and starts his scheming.


	2. Rival Inspiration (Kuroo/Kenma)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Rating: G
> 
> WARNING: Manga Spoilers for Day Three of Nationals.
> 
> Since this chapter is also building exposition, I wanted to post it as soon as I could. Let's Go!

Koushi couldn’t stop the violent shaking from the adrenaline racing through his veins. He jumped up and down and swayed to and fro trying to release the extra energy with minimal success.

He wasn’t sure what to do with himself. He wanted to run for kilometer after kilometer until he collapsed. He wanted to climb up the side of the Tokyo Tower. He wanted to scream until he completely lost his voice. He wanted to jump off the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium roof and go soaring like an actual crow…

Scratch that. That last one was definitely a terrible idea. 

The Battle at the Garbage Dump had been completed on the national stage, and Karasuno had won. Despite all the twists and turns. Despite them targeting Hinata. Despite every spike those determined cats saved. They had won, and he had been a vital part of the showdown.

The game had felt so long while they were on the court, but then, it was suddenly over in a flash. Koushi shared a moment with Yaku. He wrapped his arms tight around Asahi and Daichi, and they were on to the next one. Just like that.

Well, first, there was food and sleep. Two things very necessary during Day Three Hell.

As the team resisted the urge to simply shovel food down their throats and eat in a somewhat civilized manner, he glanced at Daichi. He noted the clear exhaustion radiating from his form and decided that today it would be the vice captain’s duty to assist the managers in making sure all his teammates got their required food and rest before the next match.

His tired friends began to claim their personal sleeping areas when Koushi made his exit. He was going to hunt down the stragglers and maybe catch a bit of the ongoing game, but he chose to take a detour through the back hallways.

Today had been A LOT. He needed a little quiet to process everything.

It was crazy to think of the many hours upon hours of practice they had done. A single afternoon, a few seconds of a rally, could be the end of it all.

As his thoughts wandered, his feet followed suit.

He was snapped back to the present when he heard approaching voices and footsteps. On instinct, he scurried behind the column up ahead.

Peeking around from his hiding spot, Koushi spied two figures in red team jackets.

Nekoma? What were they doing all the way back here?

Wait, probably the same thing he was.

He should sneak off and hope they paid him no mind. He didn’t want to intrude on them, especially if they were emotionally vulnerable which seemed likely considering the day they’d had.

As Koushi turned to slip away, the footsteps stopped, and he watched the cats perch on a bench barely a meter away.

Great! Now they would definitely hear him if he tried to leave.

A minute of content silence hung between the two before he heard a familiar voice sigh fondly, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so happy, and after we just lost, it’s ridiculous.”

A soft voice responded, “But I am happy. I meant what I said earlier. I’m glad you introduced me to volleyball. This whole experience was because of you, and I’m really grateful.”

Kuroo chuckled, “It’s ridiculous. You’re ridiculous, Kenma.”

“I know.” His edges of his mouth quirked up gently.

“And you were already challenging Karasuno again! Are you gonna become as obsessed with them as you did that one zelda game last year?” He teased.

“No.”

“Yes, you will.”

“No, I won’t.” Kenma’s head turned downward, and he curled into himself.

“Don’t pout, Kenma.” Kuroo leaned forward to see his friend’s expression clearer, “Hey, you were happy a second ago. What’s wrong?”

The silence stretched on until Suga wished to drop a whole box of pins just so that he could hear them fall. The eventual reply was very quiet, and he almost didn’t catch it, “You won’t be there.”

Oh. Suga flinched at the words. That hit a little too close to home.

Kuroo’s volume rose to compensate, “Yeah, that’s kind of how graduation works. I’ll come cheer you on though, you know.”

“It’s not the same. I don’t want you to go.”

Kuroo’s boisterous laughter echoed down the hall, “That’s only because you don’t want to have to handle Lev without Yaku, Kai, or I to help.”

“I hadn’t even thought of that yet.” Kenma unfurled with a whine.

“You’re making that scrunched up face again.”

“Am not.”

“Are too.”

“Am not.”

“Are…”

Kenma interrupted him, “I don’t want you to leave. You’ve always been around… to the point that it was annoying.”

Kuroo put his arm around his shorter friend, “Hey, just because I’m leaving Nekoma, doesn’t mean I’m leaving you. Kenma, I’ll be here as long as you want me to be. You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

Kenma turned his body and leaned up to examine his friend’s face, “Is that a promise, Tetsurou?”

“I promise.”

Kenma seemed to find what he had been looking for and nodded, “Okay. Don’t freak out then.”

“Why would I…”

Suga muffled a gasp as he watched Kenma shoot forward and swiftly press his lips against Kuroo’s.

When they pulled apart, Kuroo gave a sly grin, “Wow. You are really grateful, huh?”

“You never know when to shut up.”

“Guess you’ll have to teach me~” He said playfully before pulling the shorter boy across the bench and closing the distance between them. Suga watched the tension melt out of Kenma as Kuroo slid his hand up through the blonde hair and tilted his head for a better position.

As soon as Suga picked his jaw up off the floor and assured himself that the cats were distracted, he bolted down the first offshoot hallway he spotted.

Oh My God! OH MY GOD!

He had watched the setter and captain of Nekoma kiss. Were they a couple? They had to be a couple! Or at least, they were a couple now most likely! Had they been together previously or had he just been witness to a long-planned confession? 

His brain had barely begun to process the game, and after this, he felt a major headache coming on.

It was like one of the romcoms he watched with his mom while they cooked dinner on Sunday evenings, except this wasn’t some tall, dark, handsome businessman sweeping the adorable but shy cafe worker off her feet. 

When he analyzed it though, was this truly that much different? 

No, he decided, this wasn’t different.

Kuroo and Kenma complimented one another. They made each other stronger. They both obviously cared deeply for the other. They would make an incredibly sarcastic but adorable couple. 

Koushi had always had an obsession with love: romantic poems scrawled on the edge of his class notes, and two shelves of his dvd collection dedicated to so-called ‘chick flicks’, but that had been classified as his weekend interest. It was a part of his life but not the main goal.

He had been focused on his love of volleyball for years, and those two interests had never collided… until now.

That was true of his whole team, wasn’t it? There had been the odd date for a few of them, but no real relationships. Everyone had dedicated all their leisure hours to volleyball.

It was only a matter of time though. Graduation was breathing down the third years’ necks. He could feel it ready to strike. The tournament was nearly over. There would be entrance exams for Daichi, Kiyoko, and him. Asahi would have to iron out a plan moving forward.

Life would go on.

It was this thought that stuck with him as he checked in on his sleeping teammates and felt nostalgia hit him hard. Tears gathered in the corner of his eyes and threatened to escape.

This team was his family. He adored each and every one of them. They deserved the world. They deserved joy and love in their lives.

He wanted to help them achieve that.

Koushi decided right then and there that he would see to it that all of his friends would find their happily ever afters. He wouldn’t force anything, but he would be there when they needed that small push, or in some cases, it might take a huge shove.

With his determination restored, Koushi wiped his eyes, straightened his back, and marched onward to the gymnasium to find his remaining teammates.

First things first; they had a tournament to conquer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so it begins~
> 
> -
> 
> Next Time: Now that Koushi is paying attention, he is shocked that he didn't notice before.


	3. The Scheming Starts (Ukai/Takeda)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Rating: G, but with swearing~ G+?
> 
> WARNING: Mild Manga Spoilers, nothing too specific.
> 
> -
> 
> It's over, isn't it?
> 
> Nope :P

How could one day feel so long, yet one year feel so short?

It was over. The crows had finally lost, and what a journey it had been! Thrilling. Dramatic. And completely exhausting. He could feel every body part from his frustrating cowlick to his toes drooping, despite his best efforts.

Suga scanned the table full of his teammates scarfing down food as if their lives depended on a single grain of rice at the bottom of their bowls. The third-year tried to absorb all of the emotions and energy of this moment and imprint them permanently for future reference.

He never wanted to forget this day.

He was sure that everyone was still processing the whole experience of Nationals and staying awake purely from the adrenaline at this point. They would crash hard tonight. The vice captain was no exception.

Suga felt incredibly proud of his friends, of himself, of this team, and everything they had accomplished together. A small part of him wished this could last forever.

But it was over, wasn’t it?

Tomorrow, the crows will wake up and join the audience for the rest of the tournament. Then, they will head back home and clean out the club room for the year. He’ll have to pour even more of his time into his studies to make up for staying in the club after the Interhigh, and in a couple months, he, Daichi, Asahi, and Kiyoko will leave Karasuno.

Graduation had felt so far away before, but now he could see its monstrous shadow looming from just around the corner. He felt like a child in a knight’s outfit taped together from cardboard boxes with a stick sword. He was woefully unprepared to face this beast.

“Suga-san?” Came an uncharacteristically hushed voice from his underclassman who leaned across the table to interrupt his line of vision.

Suga shook off his anxious thoughts. “Yes, Noya?”

“Are you okay?”

“Of course I am. Just a little tired.” He tried to smile to reassure him but wound up yawning instead. 

“But you’re crying.”

His hand shifted from moving to cover his yawn to wipe at his cheek, and… oh, Noya was right. When had that happened?

“Suga-senpai?” The obvious concern bleeding into the second-year’s tone was simply not allowed.

Suga quickly wiped the rest of his face and smacked himself lightly, “Don’t worry. It’s been a long week. They’re just tired tears.”

“What the hell are tired tears? Did you just make that up?” The distraction seemed successful.

“It’s when you get so tired that your eyes water. Something that YOU have obviously never experienced, Mr. Rolling Thunder! Oh youth; children these days are so full of energy!” Suga sighed loudly and threw himself sideways into Asahi who dropped his chopsticks with a clatter to grab onto his friend’s shoulder for balance, “Daichi! Asahi! We are getting old. I can’t keep up with these younglings anymore!”

Tanaka piped into the conversation, “You’re only one year older than us!”

“No, no, he’s right. Suga is older than both Daichi and I. He is practically ancient.” Asahi patted Suga’s arm and shared a look with the captain.

Daichi reached up to pull teasingly at the gray strands, “See, even his hair is dusty with age.”

Suga bolted upright and smacked the hands away, “EXCUSE ME?!”

“You’re excused.” Daichi grinned cheekily.

“Why are you so mean to meeeeee?” Suga whined.

“Sometimes you make it too easy.”

Suga pouted a moment before proclaiming to the table, “I think I need better friends. Hey Kiyoko, want to be my new best friend?”

She rolled her eyes as the group turned to her, “Don’t drag me into this.”

The door opening drew Suga’s attention away from the argument starting over who was closest to Kiyoko. He watched as Ukai entered, seeming content. What a relief! Their sick little crow must be doing alright now.

He observed Ukai as he walked around the table, dodging enthusiastically flailing arms, unable to mask his joy as he glanced over the wild bunch of teenagers before setting his sights on the club advisor at the end of the table and… huh? 

Suga blinked, and Ukai was back to the prideful smile.

That was strange.

For a second, he could have sworn he saw… no, Suga must have imagined it.

-

Suga had forced himself to stay up an hour longer than the others to get in more English grammar lessons. If he let himself lose his current cram routine, he knew he’d regret it when exams came.

After admitting his defeat to his falling eyelids, he curled up on his futon for only about ten minutes before the sound of footsteps caused him to stir.

A large silhouette was sneaking out of the room. He dragged himself out of the warm blankets to follow. Slipping on his shoes, he wandered down the hall until he spied someone standing out on the balcony, hunched over to rest against the railing.

Suga quietly approached his friend, mirroring his position, “Asahi?”

The ace nearly jumped out of his skin at the sudden voice, “You scared me! Wait, where’s your coat?”

“I’m cold-blooded. A few minutes won’t kill me.” He waved off the other’s concern.

“That’s not what cold-blooded means, future college boy.”

“It’s fine, worrywart.” Suga waited for Asahi to resume his previous relaxed pose and let his guard down, “Shouldn’t you be passed out right now? Why are you wandering around like a zombie?”

“I just can’t stop thinking.”

Suga shifted closer and bumped their elbows together, “Today sure was something, huh? I never would have imagined any of this back when we were in first year.”

“Same.” Asahi bumped his elbow back. “Our guys are awesome, and I don’t mean them any disrespect, but…” He whispered beneath his breath, “I wish you could have been in the game for that last rally. It felt wrong somehow with you on the sidelines.”

Suga could feel his face begin to flush as he turned to throw a punch, “You big sap!”

Asahi chuckled as he rubbed his newly bruised tricep and looked up at the sky, “Will you miss them?”

“The team? Of course, I’ll miss them.”

“No, the stars.”

Suga followed his gaze, “What do you mean?”

“It’s much harder to see the stars with all the city lights. Back home, you can see the sky much clearer, but here, I can’t make out any of the constellations.” He gestured out at the expanse.

“Oh.” Suga paused to watch his puffs of air fade from white into the cold darkness and pondered his response. “I don’t really have my heart set on any single university yet. I might not end up in Tokyo. Who knows where I’ll even get accepted.”

Asahi assured him instantly, “You’re been studying like mad, and you’re incredibly smart. I’m certain that your test scores will get you in wherever you want to go.”

Suga smiled up at his taller friend, “Thanks, Asahi.”

Asahi moved to ruffle his shorter friend’s hair, “You’ve always seemed like the city type to me.”

“What does that meeeeean?”

“I don’t know. Serious. Focused. Goal-oriented.”

Suga pulled back and lifted his hand to muffle his laughter before he woke someone, “Goal-oriented? Trying to write my resume, are you?”

Asahi rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “Well, in the city, people always seem to have some place they need to be and just power through until they get there. Just go, go, go all the time. I…” His arm fell to his side. “I don’t think I could ever fit into a city.”

“What are you talking about? You power through all the time. Your spikes are literal examples of that.”

“It would be overwhelming.”

“Do you need a ‘negativity begone’ chop again?” He threatened lightly.

Asahi immediately tensed as Suga stepped towards him, and let out a relieved sigh when his friend grasped his shoulder instead.

“I’m not saying you have to ever live in a city if you don’t want to. I think you’d get the hang of it though. You would eventually accept your role as a mover-and-shaker in the big city, just like you got used to your role as the ‘Ace’.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, but I’m not really sure what I want.”

“I think that’s okay. Having teenagers decide what they want to do for the rest of their lives seems kinda silly to me. Who knows what the future holds. You’ll figure it out eventually. It might take a bit, but I’m sure you’ll find something that makes you happy.”

Suga gripped his shoulder firmly before they both turned to lean on the railing once more. Snowflakes had begun to dance through the air as the boys talked, and now, they watched them swirl around one another. Meeting and drifting apart. It felt oddly symbolic.

An intense sneeze broke the quiet moment, and Suga wrapped his arms around himself as he began to shiver.

“Suga, you can just say that you are cold and go back inside.”

“No, I’m enjoying the fresh air with you.” He pouted.

“You are too stubborn for your own good sometimes.” Asahi sighed as he shrugged out of his coat and tossed it over his friend’s shoulders. “You can only stay outside if you wear that.”

“Fine, but just for a minute.” He tugged the too large coat tighter and felt warmth surround him.

-

“We should get tea from the vending machine at the nice hotel next door to help us warm up. Why don’t you go grab my coat and some pain meds from the room while I head downstairs?” 

“Pain meds? Shit, Suga, are you hurt?!” Asahi frantically scanned him up and down looking for injury.

“No, calm your manbun! The meds are for you. You really pushed your limits today. You will DEFINITELY feel it tomorrow if you don’t pop the pills and sleep a few solid hours.”

Asahi sagged in relief before nodding as he headed off to their room.

Suga had just reached the bottom of the stairs when he noticed a pair of approaching figures. He dived under the lower staircase and peeked out as his curiosity got the better of him.

Ukai was supporting Takeda, both wavering a bit as they stumbled down the hall. They must have been out drinking. Suga stifled his chuckles.

He watched as the casual hand thrown around the teacher’s waist inched lower to grasp his hip. 

Wait a fucking second!

Suga hadn’t imagined that lovesick look earlier, had he?

A quick glance at Ukai’s face told him that he had definitely not imagined it.

OH MY GOD! When the hell had THAT happened?!

-

For the next week, Suga made sure to analyze Ukai and Takeda interacting whenever he was around the pair: the fond touches, the sly jokes that made the teacher giggle like a schoolgirl, the coach’s adoring looks whenever he thought no one was looking.

It was the following Friday when Suga took a break from studying to assist the team in their deep clean of the gym and club room in preparation for the next school year. He had just caught Ukai flat out staring at the club advisor’s backside as the latter bent over to pick up a fallen mop.

Suga marched across the gym towards the group of chairs they had set up for breaks. He draped himself dramatically across several seats and face first onto Ennoshita’s legs who had been busy jotting notes into a journal

He whined loudly into the fabric of his teammate’s sweatpants, “How did I miss this?! I’ve been so focused on observing the games from the sidelines that I never looked right next to me!”

A hand nudged his ankles off the other chair, and he swung to sit up.

Ennoshita’s calm monotone answered, “Are you talking about how Kinoshita and Narita act exactly like Rebecca and Jacob from The Guide to Not Dating, but, you know, minus the cheating ex and whatnot?”

“Or are you talking about Takeda’s heart eyes for Coach?” Kiyoko piped in from behind him as she moved to perch where his feet had been.

“WHAT?!!!” Suga screeched as he flipped his head back and forth between the two of them.

He finally settled on Ennoshita. “Okay, okay. Enno, we are gonna come back to Narita and Kinoshita at a later date because my mind is reeling right now. Since when have you read romantic novels?”

Ennoshita puffed up in response, “That’s not ALL I read. I read an expansive range of genres.” He deflated slightly as Suga continued to stare dumbfounded at him. “Yes, I read contemporary romance.”

“I want a list of your top five recommendations by the end of next week,” Suga demanded.

“I don’t want to have to narrow it down that much. You’re getting top ten.”

“Deal!” Suga clapped excitedly before turning to face the team manager, “Kiyoko, are you sure Takeda likes Ukai?”

She clicked her tongue. “I’ve spent literal months beside them. Takeda’s mannerisms are not subtle after a little observation. His face lights up like a 1000-watt lamp whenever Ukai strolls into the room.”

“So, they like each other then? That’s great! Are they already a couple?” He bounced up and down with joy at this discovery.

“Doubtful. The scent of pining that wafts across the bench smells as strong as a Christmas tree farm.”

Ennoshita snorted at her comment, and this sent all three into laughing fits.

Once he regained his breath, Suga jumped up and flipped around to face the other two. “Kiyoko, could I be in charge of the thank you gifts for Sensei and Coach from the third-years?”

“I know your ‘scheming face’ when I see it. You will still do whatever you are plotting even if I say no, right?”

“Please?” He put on his best puppy eyes and clasped his hands together.

“Go ahead.”

“Also, I do not have a ‘scheming face’.” He pouted.

Ennoshita beamed. “Yes, you do. That’s the same face from Daichi’s first week as new captain when you filled his notebook with condoms, and they spilled all over the gym floor during practice.”

Kiyoko pipped in, “And the same face from when Asahi first started to grow facial hair, so you sprayed shaving cream in his outdoor shoes while he was practicing in the gym.”

“You both laughed at those pranks.”

Ennoshita sighed. “Please just try to remember that this time your actions may have consequences for your underclassman as well.”

“Trust me. I got this.”

-

The third-years had stayed late after cleaning that evening to bid their coach and club advisor farewell as the two headed off for a weekend vacation at a hot springs inn in the mountains. A lovely thank you gift indeed.

The captain waited until the adults were out of sight before nudging his vice captain, “Sugawara Koushi, what did you do?”

Daichi used his full name. Shit.

He plastered on a mask of innocence before turning and fluttering his eyes up at his friend. “Who says I did something?”

“He did something.”

Suga clutched at the invisible string of pearls around his neck and gasped, “KIYOKO! The utter betrayal!”

“You never asked me to stay quiet.”

“That’s fair.” He gestured wildly throughout his explanation. “I didn’t DO anything, Daichi. It was just a simple booking error. I wanted them to have the best room possible after all. You know, private hot spring bath, excellent saké, rose petals, and ONE amazingly soft bed.”

Daichi groaned as he smacked his hand against his forehead. “You got them the honeymoon suite?”

Suga smirked. “I got them the honeymoon suite.”

Asahi grimaced. “You are a dead man walking.”

Suga shrugged. “No one can prove anything, but assuming this is my last weekend alive, I demand to spend it with my closest friends watching terrible romance movies. Kiyoko, you in?”

“Sorry, I have plans. Let me know how it goes though.” She winked before sauntering away.

-

Suga’s ringtone interrupted at the perfect dramatic moment of 27 Dresses when Jane was getting revenge on her sister. Asahi leapt at the sound and lost half the bowl of popcorn onto Daichi’s head.

As he blurted out apologies and Daichi stood up to shake off the offending kernels and pull a new outfit from his gym bag, Suga slipped out the side door and answered his phone.

“Hello?” He said cheerfully despite the late hour.

A tone of barely contained rage responded, “Sugawara, I'm sure that this was your idea. At practice next week, you will be running laps every morning and evening until your legs give out.”

He laughed awkwardly, “Sorry, Coach. I am no longer on the team, remember? I’m afraid I have college entrance exams to study for. I’ll be much too busy to run laps.”

“I will report this incident to your mother.”

His laughter turned genuine, “Please do. She’s the one who got me hooked on romantic comedies. Hearing that I utilized such a classic trope would absolutely thrill her.”

There was silence for several moments. Suga began to wonder if Ukai had hung up on him. As he held out his phone to check if the call had dropped, he heard the coach’s tone deepen, “This is why your teammates are afraid of you, isn’t it?”

Oh, this was good. “It’s getting pretty late, huh? Time to get all snuggled up and ~cozy~. Take care of our dear sensei. Good night!”

“SUGAWARA!”

He hung up, skipped inside, and collapsed back onto his spot on the couch.

“That was coach, wasn’t it? Are you nervous that your plan might fail?” Daichi returned to the room wearing a new not-butter-covered shirt.

Suga tugged his friend down beside him, cuddling into Daichi and throwing his legs onto Asahi’s lap. “If I didn’t know that their feelings were mutual, I would be terrified. I’m 99% positive though, and I never would pull a stunt like this if I thought it might cause actual damage. At worse, they will return to their silly pining-from-afar with a new ridiculous story to tell at the next coach meetup.”

“And at best?” Asahi exhaled, resigned to his job as footrest for the foreseeable future.

“At best, we have to start searching for places to rent a nice tux for the wedding reception. Daichi’s definitely has to be black. Asahi, you could pull off several different colors. Do you guys think I should go for a white suit coat, or is that too flashy if I’m not the one in the spotlight?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Foreshadowing is my new obsession. Also, I'm tempted to tell some of these chapters from other perspectives in separate fics, but let's get through Suga's perspective first.
> 
> -
> 
> Next Time: Sleepover Shenanigans


	4. Sleepover Shenanigans (An Interlude)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Rating: T?
> 
> Warning: Swearing, Sexual References
> 
> People who celebrate fictional characters' birthdays are weird... HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUGA!!! 💕🍰 🎁 
> 
> What I'm posting today was meant to be a small scene in chapter 4, but then the scene jumped behind the wheel, tore off at 100mph, and took this fic for a 2600 word joyride. I wound up separating it and dedicating the whole chapter to this. Good news is that I should be updating with the following chapter very soon.
> 
> In the meantime, please enjoy some Sleepover Shenanigans, featuring backstory, foreshadowing, LGBT+ education, hot peppers, and boys with FEELINGS.
> 
> -

Suga was reminded of Pavlov’s dogs as he observed all of the boys simultaneously turn towards Daichi’s signature three quick claps from their positions lounging on various furniture or fellow teammates throughout the living room.

“Okay, before we start this official Karasuno volleyball team sleepover, some ground rules. Rule 1: Anyone who damages property within the walls of Asahi’s home will be reported to Ukai and Takeda who will be sure that you work to pay it back, however long that may take. Our ace was kind enough to offer up his home, so don’t be idiots.”

Asahi piped in softly from his spot leaning against the entranceway to the kitchen, “Technically, I didn’t offer. Suga proclaimed that I had the largest house and declared it as the team sleepover haven.”

Suga stretched across the floor to karate chop the ace’s ankle, making him fumble for balance. “Details Shemtails”.

Daichi cleared his throat before continuing, “Rule 2: There are first-years present, so anyone who suggests questionable games, such as Strip Poker, Truth or Dare, or Never Have I Ever, which I know you will make dirty, will be forced to pitch a tent and sleep in the backyard.”

“Anyone who’s up for Strip Poker can meet me in the tent at eleven.” Noya announced while shooting finger guns towards the majority of the group draped across the couch.

Daichi focused a glare towards the libero, “Except for Noya. If YOU break any of the rules, I will tie you up and lock you inside the storage closet for the remainder of the night.”

“Sounds kinky! Didn’t take you for the BDSM type, Daichi.”

Suga muffled his chuckles as he overheard Hinata leaning into Kageyama to ask in a way too loud whisper, “What’s BDSM?” The other first-year appeared equally confused and shrugged in response.

Daichi looked about five seconds from murder when Ennoshita intervened, “Nishinoya, quit while you're ahead.”

Noya pouted and flopped backwards across Tanaka’s legs, “Yes, Captain Party Pooper-in-training. You guys never let me have any fun.”

Tanaka pounded his shoulder and snickered at the scolding.

“Rule 3: This home will be spotless by the time we all leave tomorrow. No mess will be left behind in the Amumane parents’ absence. In fact, I expect it to be cleaner than when we arrived. Understood?”

A chorus of “Yes, Daichi.”s and “Aye aye, Captain,”s circled the room.

“Good. Let’s split off and play some _appropriate_ games.”

Suga immediately leapt up from his spot on the floor, running to his backpack to pull out a jar covered in cartoony fire graphics, “Who wants to take me on in Smash Bros.? Loser has to eat a five-alarm pepper.”

Daichi’s eyes narrowed. “None of you should take that bet. I know you all are super competitive, but Suga is a master of that game, and even if by some miracle you do win, he eats incredibly hot peppers for his own amusement. He gets what he wants either way.”

“Are you speaking from experience, captain?” A small smirk crept onto Tsukishima’s face.

Yamaguchi glanced up at Sugawara with concern, “Do you still have taste buds?” 

“Exactly how hot is a five-alarm pepper?” Kageyama inquired.

“Curious to find out?” Suga noted the flash of the younger setter’s eyes that translated to ‘ _challenge accepted_ ’, “Okay! Let’s do this!”

-

Three rounds of gameplay and three underclassmen holding back tears as they suffered through five-alarm peppers later, Suga was banned from the Smash Bros. competition and pulled Narita, Kinoshita, and Asahi into a vicious game of UNO attack.

As Asahi hesitated to push the launcher button and possibly have another set of cards suddenly pop out and startle him, the calm was broken by a shout from Tanaka, “Holy Shit! Guys, look at the photo my sister just sent me from my parents’ restaurant.”

Hinata threw himself over the back of the couch to get closer to the phone, “Is that Ukai and Takeda?”

“Yeah, and coach is totally kissing his cheek! Look!” Tanaka held the phone out towards the rest of the room as the others scrambled to look.

“Are they on a date?!” Noya shrieked as Suga finally got a peek at the screen from over the shorter boy’s shoulder and grinned from ear to ear.

A hand smacked against his back, sending him stumbling forward. “Stop looking so proud of yourself, Suga.”

Noya automatically adjusted to steady him. He bowed his head quickly in thanks.

His smile grew impossibly large as he moved to twirl through the center of the room. “Sorry Daichi, couldn’t hear you over the sound of my plan succeeding with a bang. Not only can I set a volleyball, but apparently, I can set up couples too. Who’s the master of love? _This boi._ ”

He turned back upon completing his victory dance to see a few knowing looks and several bewildered expressions. “Story time is probably in order, huh? I first noticed something was up while we were in Tokyo for Nationals…” Suga proceeded to explain his observations, his scheming, and everything that led to this apparent date Saeko had caught photographic evidence of.

As he wrapped up, most of his teammates seemed to be in awe of the skills and/or audacity of their vice captain. Suga liked to think it was more about his skills.

“Um… can I ask something?” Kageyama's hands twitched as he frantically scanned the group. He paused several seconds before choosing his words, “Ukai is a man, and Takeda is also a man. Is… is that allowed?”

Everyone in the room shifted uncomfortably and shared a weary glance, unsure how to answer.

Ennoshita stepped forward after an awkward moment, “I got this.” He moved to stand beside the youngest crow and placed a steady hand against his arm, “Kageyama-kun, a man can like another man the same way a man can like a woman. It’s not always accepted by society, and some people get serious backlash for it, but there is nothing wrong with anyone in the LGBT+ community, and no matter their gender identity or sexuality, everyone deserves respect and happiness. People who think otherwise can get a spike to the face on loop for all of eternity.”

“Fuck Yeah! Well said, Chikara!” Noya pumped a fist in the air. Daichi twitched at the swear but let it slide considering the current context. 

“So then... Ukai and Takeda both being men is okay because guys can like guys... and that’s okay?”

Hinata pounced onto Kageyama’s free arm and yanked him down with his weight, “Of course guys can like guys, Bakageyama! Kenma and Kuroo are dating!”

It was odd that despite the obvious signs of Spring budding on the trees outside and this night being particularly warm for the time of year, a sudden chill flooded the room and froze the crows all in place like hand-carved ice sculptures at a winter festival.

The silence reigned on until broken with a great bellow, **“THEY WHAT?!!”**

Suga felt an immense weight lift off his shoulders as he watched his teammates absorb the news with excitement, shock, and a few murmurs of ‘“about damn time” .

He fell bonelessly into the nearest chair, “Oh, they’re telling people? Thank goodness! Keeping that secret was slowly eating me alive.”

Hinata’s face grew pink. “Was it supposed to be a secret? Opps.”

“Hinata, you have to be careful outing other people.” Ennoshita chided kindly.

“But you guys are all cool.” Hinata immediately defended.

“Still…”

“How the HELL did you know?” Tanaka exclaimed loudly while gesturing at Suga.

He lowered his gaze sheepishly. “I happened upon Kenma confessing to Kuroo at Nationals.” He peeked up only to meet Daichi’s accusing glare. “It was an accidental eavesdrop I promise.” The glare softened.

Tsukishima interjected from the fluffy armchair he had sneakily claimed while the others were distracted, “Wait, Kenma confessed first? Are you certain?”

“Yeah, he warned Kuroo not to freak out and then kissed him.” Suga explained as the group noticed Tsukishima's position and rushed to secure their own comfortable seating arrangements.

Tsukishima smirked wickedly, “I am giving Kuroo so much shit for this next time he bothers me.”

Yamaguchi hopped up onto the arm of the armchair and casually reclined against his best friend, “Does Kuroo bother you a lot, Tsukki?”

Tsukishima threw his head back and groaned in pure exasperation, “He texts me CONSTANTLY. Speaking of, which of you fools gave him my number?”

Hinata jumped up on the opposite arm of the armchair, “I did! He said that he wanted to start a group chat for the players who practiced in Gym 3 at the Tokyo training camp. You were an honorary cat, and I was an honorary owl. You can’t escape our mini friend group, Jerkishima” He thrust his pointer finger onto the blonde’s nose.

“Firstly, I did not sign up for this.” Tsukishima sent a sharp elbow towards the decoy who toppled onto the floor with a crash. “Secondly, he could have used a social media account. He didn’t need my number!”

Tanaka bent over to offer Hinata a hand up and sneered, “Honorary cat and honorary owl? You are both crows though! Bokuto and Kuroo are not allowed to steal you. Those sly bastards, trying to convert you with their cool city lifestyles!”

“Shitty Lifestyles.”

Ennoshita grabbed the hem of Tanaka’s shirt to yank him back from any possible retaliation and quirked an eyebrow up at the tall middle blocker, “Would it kill you to not be a brat for five minutes?”

“Quite possibly.” Came the snarky reply.

Yamaguchi suspended the growing hostility with a quick subject change. “If Kuroo and Kenma are together, does that mean Bokuto…?” He swirled his right hand through the air.

“Hmm?”

“You know… Akaashi?” He repeated the motion with his left hand and then joined his palms together.

Tsukishima sighed, “He means ‘have Bokuto and Akaashi hooked up yet?’”

Noya nodded in understanding prior to shaking his head. “ _Ohhhhh…_ No. Despite the vibe, Bokuto is unfortunately straight. I asked.”

“Of course you did.” Ennoshita moved to rub his temples, and Suga felt a wave of guilt for leaving him in charge of this unruly crew for the upcoming year. “Why unfortunately straight?”

“Have you seen his ass?! **Baby got back!”**

Daichi’s aura darkened, and his voice grew deeper, “Noya, your horny is showing. Tone it down in front of the children.”

Noya wilted slightly before draping himself across the coffee table in the center of the room. “Fine. Just leave me to drown in my pansexual tears!”

“What’s pansexual?” Kageyama turned to Ennoshita who had seemingly become the group dictionary for this conversation topic.

“Pansexual means someone isn’t limited in sexual choice with regard to biological sex, gender, or gender identity.” He recited.

Noya’s voice was slightly muffled against the wood, “Basically, hot people are hot regardless. You can be a woman or a man or non-binary.”

“What’s non-binary?”

Ennoshita pulled his phone from his pocket and began typing. “I’m gonna go ahead and post an excellent resource for LGBT+ terms on the team group chat for whoever wants to do research.” Everyone’s alerts beeped a moment later.

“Thank you, Ennoshita-san.” Kageyama bowed his head slightly. Then, he retrieved his own phone for referencing.

Tsukishima smiled slyly, “Let me summarize for your highness. Noya’s dating pool has the largest range of possibilities, and yet, he still cannot find anyone who wants to be with him because of his height and immaturity level.”

Noya’s head rose from the table to give him a scowl. “I will strangle you.”

“Can you reach my neck?”

“I will wait until you're asleep tonight and suffocate you with a pillow.” He threatened.

Daichi leaned forward from the couch to whack the back of the libero’s head, “Noya, I never thought I’d have to verbalize this, but murdering your underclassman would make you a very bad senpai. No matter how tempting it may be sometimes.”

Noya wailed, “Fun Ruiners! It’s not like he can talk. I’ve never seen Tsukishima go on a date either.”

Yamaguchi interjected, “Tsukki has been turning down confessions at least once a week since we came back from Nationals.”

“Shut up, Yamaguchi!”

Tanaka perked up, “Whoa, really?! Why would you turn them down? You got a specific type or something? Could you send any girls our way?”

The other second-years twisted towards him. Kinoshita flatlined, “Haven’t you already had enough girl issues this year, Ryuu?”

Tanaka flushed and opened his mouth to defend himself when he was cut off by Tsukishima’s snarl, “They’re all shallow airheads. Girls see a tall blonde guy with good grades starting on a sports team and decide they LIKE me as if they really know anything about me. If you’ve never spoken to a person, how can you confess your so-called _‘feelings’_? You can’t possibly love someone you don’t even know!”

Suga's heart stung at the emotions leaking through the cracks on the first-years carefully crafted mask, especially knowing he wouldn't have caught the pain behind the snark only a few months prior. Oh dear! This conversation was starting to hit some nerves. Maybe he should engage less this get out of hand.

Before he could make a move, Kinoshita spoke up, “I’ve never been on a date, but Narita got asked out by Miyoko, this tall, red-haired girl from our class last year. They went out for over a month.”

The group spun towards the second-year middle blocker who looked like he had taken one of Oikawa’s serves to the stomach. Suga had never seen him that panicked, but Narita quickly schooled his features. “Hisashi, don’t bring her up. She isn’t important.”

Kinoshita looked just as surprised by that reaction as everyone else and shrugged nonchalantly, “She seemed relevant to the conversation.”

Narita snapped, “Well, she’s not! Miyoko only asked me out to get closer to you. Her best friend had a crush on you, and she thought she could get to you through me.”

Kinoshita's eyes grew wide, “Seriously?! Why did you never tell me? That sucks. I…” He reached a hand out and placed it gently on his friend’s back, “Sorry Kazu, I won’t bring it up again. I swear I didn’t know.”

“It’s okay. I’m used to you being oblivious.”

Kinoshita’s hand shot back as if he had accidentally brushed it against a hot stovetop.

 **“Kazuhito!”** Ennoshita scolded sharply.

Suga’s breath caught as he watched Kinoshita curl in on himself, sinking into the corner of the couch. He hid his face behind his hands, and his shoulders began to hitch.

Narita’s anger deflated instantly, and he adjusted to pull his sniffling friend against his side, running a palm along his shoulder blades to try and sooth him. “Shit! I didn’t mean that how it sounded, Hisashi. You just never seem to notice when people are into you. Like that first-year from Nekoma with the ceiling serve who was eyeing you up during training camp or that girl from class 3 with the pigtails who’s in the baking club and offers you pastries to sample every week. It’s really hard not to like you. I promise that I’m not mad. You okay?”

Kinoshita lifted his face a moment later and wiped the tear tracks away, smiling softly. “There is no way that _that_ many people are interested in me.”

Narita returned the smile. “You’d be surprised.”

Daichi’s voice shattered the tension and reminded everyone exactly where they were, “Don’t worry, Kinoshita. I’ve been told that I am also oblivious when it comes to this matter.”

Suga’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “What Daichi means is that he is notoriously terrible at guessing the pairings in the romcoms I force him to watch. Embarrassingly so.”

“Tell us! Tell us! **Tell us!** ” New voices added to the chant as it echoed through the room.

Suga hopped up in front of the television and spread his arms with a flare. “Gather my little crows, it’s officially _‘spill the tea on your best friends’_ hour. Grab some snacks and find yourself a cozy spot.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I imagine that Hinata hounds Kageyama over the fact that he knew about LGBT+ stuff first, even though he only found out from Kenma a week prior when the boy finally cracked and told the little sunshine about his relationship. 😂 
> 
> Next Time: "You regret 100% of the spikes you don't jump for, you know?"


	5. No Regrets (Daichi/Michimiya)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Rating: G
> 
> Did I spend hours researching Japanese universities and tourist destinations for this chapter? Yes.  
> Was it worth it? Maybe.
> 
> This is the park I used as the setting: https://www.skbk.or.jp/en/shibata-cherry-blossom/  
> Look how pretty it is!
> 
> -

Suga inhaled the sweet scents of fruit tarts and cinnamon bread that wafted from the bakery as they strolled past on their early morning mission. The sky was losing the last of its pale orange sunrise glow. The wind was barely cold enough to send shivers down his spine. He embraced the small chill as a few weeks from now, he would probably be begging for such relief.

Suga felt utterly content. This was perfect. He had desperately needed this.

Life had been a whirlwind for months. Last week, they had finally graduated. Many tears had been shed all around, and in five short days, he would get the keys to his new apartment.

He knew the whirlwind would soon pluck him right back up from where it had thrown him down, but for the moment, he was here. Walking beside his best friends and heading somewhere familiar before they all headed off into the unknown separately.

Thank goodness for technology allowing them to still keep in touch after this because he couldn’t imagine facing freshman year of college without their ridiculous group chat to let him vent and keep him sane.

As they reached the top of the hill, the summit of Funaokajyo Park appeared on the horizon. 

Koushi skipped ahead of the other two, “Look at the Kannon! Elegant as always. I wish I could have such poise!” He spun around to mimic the statue’s pose.

Daichi shook his head fondly at his friend’s antics. “Like a little kid. Are you ever planning to grow up?” 

“I aim not to. Growing up sounds stupid and not at all fun!” He slumped his shoulders, made a huge pouty face, and then grinned when his actions made Asahi chuckle.

They chatted about random topics: new film trailers that looked good, what summer snacks they were looking forward to, the warmer-than-normal weather, anything except the tension that loomed over this approaching week, and what it would mean for their trio. That talk could be delayed a bit.

If Suga could have his way, it would be delayed infinitely.

Daichi automatically led them across Shibatao bridge and down to the river’s edge to their usual spot under a paler than average sakura tree.

The tree had become something of an inside joke since first-year when Asahi had innocently commented on Suga’s hair matching the petals. Suga had made a big deal out of being insulted by the comment, and the other boys, having met him only recently, mistook his anger as genuine. It took them a couple weeks and a dozen bribe gifts to figure out his mischievous ploy, and it had been dubbed Suga’s tree ever since.

He helped Daichi lay out the blanket over a soft bit of grass beneath the tree as Asahi pulled their drinks from the mini cooler, throwing each of them their respective favorites.

As they sat comfortably in the shade, Suga kept stealing glances over his shoulder.

It only took a minute for Daichi to comment, “What are you so impatient for, Suga?”

He blushed at being caught, “I was hoping to get some photos of the slope car. I brought the new camera that my cousin gave me for graduation, and I’m worried that if I don’t go now, the area will become swarmed with tourists. It’s not a big deal though. I can come back another day on my own or...”

Asahi's laughter broke his rambling, “Go ahead. We won’t run away as soon as your back is turned.”

“Speak for yourself.”

“Mean, Daichi!” Suga stuck his tongue out as he gathered his bag and swung it over his shoulder. “Okay, I should be back within the hour. If not, please assume I was kidnapped by a beautiful goddess and mourn me appropriately.”

“Gotcha.” Asahi rolled his eyes.

Daichi flung himself onto the soft fabric of the blanket. “Please take your time. We’ll enjoy the peace of your absence.”

-

Suga had managed to jog to the slope car right as the crowds started to really pick up numbers. He snapped a few photos before flipping the camera around and taking a couple of selfies.

He was struggling to form a peace sign while balancing the unfamiliar bulky camera with one hand when he heard a feminine voice call out from behind him, “Is that you, Sugawara-kun?”

He spun around to find the chocolate eyes of the former girls’ volleyball team captain. “Michimiya-chan, hello! Are you enjoying the flowers?”

She nodded as she stepped into his space to avoid passerbys. “Uh huh, there are so many buds this year. I really wish I could stick around to see them finish blooming!”

Someone bumped into her side, and Suga reached out to help her regain her balance. He gently cupped her elbow and escorted her to the edge of the sidewalk where they would be less likely to get swept away by tourists.

Once in the clear, he restarted the conversation, “You’re heading to Tokyo, correct?”

“Yes, I’ll be attending Ochanomizu University. It’s an honor to be accepted there, and I’m still pretty shocked.” She ruffled her hair shyly.

He ramped up his enthusiasm in response, “Ochanomizu is an amazing school! Congratulations!”

She bowed her head slightly, “Thank you. I heard that you are staying nearby for college?”

Guess future talk was inevitable.

“Yeah, I wanted to stick close to home for now. Ishinomaki Senshu is right in the bay, so I’m looking forward to spending my free time walking along the beach.”

She giggled softly, “I’m sure you’ll discover all the prime selfie spots. Speaking of, I interrupted you, didn’t I? My bad.”

Suga waved off her concern. “Oh, yeah. I was just taking some snapshots of the slope car. I love how the turquoise stands out against all the pale pink petals.”

She shuffled her feet. “Mind if I keep you company? I suddenly find myself running solo.”

“I don’t mind. What do you mean by suddenly? If someone stood you up, I could sick Asahi on them. He at least looks intimidating even though he’s simply a big teddy bear.” He whispered conspiracingly.

“That sounds potentially traumatic for all involved parties and also unnecessary.” Michimiya scanned the crowd and leaned closer, lowering her tone, “You didn’t hear it from me, but Sasaki confessed to Aihara up on the mountain top. I came with her to play wing-woman. It went so smoothly; turns out she didn’t need my help. Then, I was sort of third-wheeling on their first date, so I ditched them over by the Kannon statue.” She finished with a wink.

Suga squealed, “Oh my gosh, that’s so adorable!”

“I know, right? Sasa-chan figured there was nothing left to lose since Aihara graduated, and she didn’t want her to leave for university without knowing her feelings.”

“That’s very brave.”

“Super brave! I’m sorta jealous.” She was still smiling, but a sad shadow had overtaken it.

“Michi-”

Michimiya straightened her back and clapped her hands, “Hey, how about I take a photo of you in front of the slope car? It’s good to have the choice between selfies and proper portraits, and your sweater matches the car so nicely.”

If that’s how she wanted to play it, fine.

He beamed back at her, “Only if I can snap some of you too. The strawberry pattern of your dress compliments the pink blossoms perfectly.”

Suga lost track of time as the two took turns messing with his camera settings and trying to outdo each other’s poses, growing more and more silly. He was clutching his stomach as tears rolled down his face when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.

**Daichi:** It’s been over an hour. Should we begin the mourning process?

 **Daichi:** Please answer before Asahi really starts to freak out.

 **Daichi:** Okay I’m starting to freak out now

 **Daichi:** SUGAWARA KOUSHI ANSWER ME

“Shoot! I completely forgot that they were waiting on me. Time flies when you're having fun!” He woke up his phone and typed a hasty reply.

Michimiya peeked over his shoulder. “Is your family here?”

“No, Asahi and Daichi have a picnic set up by the river.”

Suga noticed her stiffening, and her eyes widened at the latter’s name.

That confirmed his suspicions. “You should join us,” he said, pure honey dripping from the words.

She hopped back a step and waved her hands frantically. “I wouldn’t want to impose.”

He swung an arm over her shoulder and guided her towards the exit of the park. “Nonsense, you are a graduating volleyball club member too!”

“If you are sure.” She grumbled, seemingly accepting her fate.

Suga waited until they had escaped the main gate and were ambling along the riverbank before going in for the kill, “So…”

“So?”

“You said you were jealous. When are you planning to confess to Daichi?”

Michimiya tripped over her feet. She stopped walking and wrapped her arms around herself, drooping. “If my feelings are that obvious, I think I already have my answer.”

He tugged her carefully by the wrist over to a nearby bench, sat her down, and kneeled to meet her gaze. “Michimiya, it’s okay. Trust me. He has no idea you like him. Daichi is pretty dumb when it comes to romance. We saw Tangled at the theater a couple years back, and he didn’t realize Rapunzel and Flynn Rider were love interests until they were leaning in for the kiss during the boat scene. He was completely distraught at having not seen it coming. It was freakin hilarious!”

She sniffed, “But it’s a Disney movie?”

“I know.”

Her lips perked up. “A Disney _princess_ movie?”

“I KNOW! The relationship was so obvious! You’ve really got your work cut out for you with Dai.”

Suga was relieved to hear her laugh.

She sighed, “Honesty time? I tried to confess on the last day of classes, but I saw him with all of you guys, and I lost my nerve.”

He took her hands in his and squeezed, “You regret 100% of the spikes you don’t jump for, you know?”

She deadpanned, “A volleyball metaphor, really?”

He scoffed dramatically, “Hey, it totally makes sense!” His voice turned serious once he got her to smile, “You should tell him, Michimiya. Did you hear that he got into the University of Tokyo? That’s just down the street from Ochanomizu. You could meet up on the weekends for dates all throughout the city or grab dinner after classes. It could totally work, and I’m not just saying that.”

“I don’t know, Sugawara.”

He jumped up and poked his finger against her nose, watching her go cross-eyed, “Want another metaphor? You can’t score if you don’t play the game!”

She blushed heavily and swatted his hand out of her face. “You said that with a double-meaning on purpose!”

“I deny nothing. If you are going to be dating one of my best friends, you’ll have to adapt to my sense of humor. Plus, the metaphors will only get stranger the longer I spend coming up with them, so it would be better for you to agree sooner rather than later.”

Michimiya huffed, “Fine. I’ll think about it.”

-

“Ouch! She hits nearly as hard as you do, Suga!” Daichi rubbed his tricep that had fallen victim to one of Michimiya’s punches.

“Nearly? I will need some training advice if you would be so kind, Sugawara-sensei.” She clasped her hands together and bowed towards him until her forehead rested against the blanket.

Suga snorted, almost spilling his orange soda down the front of his sweater, and bowed deeply in return. “It would be my pleasure, my prized pupil.”

Daichi moaned, “For the sake of all your mutual friends, HELL NO! Letting you two hang out is a mistake.”

Suga was satisfied with how the day had been shaping up. The four recent graduates ate lunch together overlooking the river with the cherry blossoms giving the scene a beautiful atmosphere. As the minutes ticked by, Michimiya and Daichi had both relaxed and even subconsciously shifted closer to one another. _Perfect!_

Suga pulled out his phone and groaned under his breath, “Dang, my mom is texting me that if I don’t get the rest of my stuff packed up to move to the apartment, she’s gonna start throwing out things willy-nilly. She’s eager to turn my old bedroom into her yoga studio slash craft room. I should go.” He made direct eye contact with Asahi as he finished his statement.

Luckily, Asahi picked up on his nonverbal message. “I’ll come with. I can help you carry stuff.”

“Thanks, buddy.”

As they gathered their things, Daichi stood to join them. “I can come too.”

Suga flipped around and clutched at his collar, punctuated with an over-the-top gasp, “And abandon a lovely maiden! Daichi, how could you?!”

Daichi steps faltered, “Wait, that’s not…”

Suga marched over and pushed down on his shoulder until Daichi sat back down. “Don’t worry, Dai. I trust Asahi’s muscles to do all the heavy lifting.” He sent a karate chop to Asahi’s arm, making the former ace cringe. “You just relax, and then head home to finish your own packing. I’ll text you later.”

Daichi stared at him, calculating. “Sure, I guess.”

Suga sent him a cheshire cat grin. He saw Michimiya’s face turn pinker than her outfit as he waved to the two of them and saultered off, “Have fun, Yui-chan!”

-

“Sorry that I cut off our gathering early. I know you had your heart set on a nostalgic farewell amongst the sakura. I’ll text Daichi tonight and reserve a table for three at the cafe you like on the east side before we both leave on Thursday. That would be a good nostalgic farewell spot too, right?” Suga bit his lip and wrung his hands as he pleaded with his friend.

Asahi’s eyebrows shot up. “You would go through all that trouble?”

“Well, yeah. You care about this a lot, so...” Suga tucked a piece of hair behind his ear and noted his need for a haircut before classes began.

“Thanks, Suga. That sounds great.” Asahi replied. He clicked his tongue. “Did your mom really text you?”

“Yes, but it’s just a list of items she wants me to grab from the corner store. Truthfully, I haven’t started packing. It’s not like gallivanting off to another country or even to Tokyo. I’m not even moving that far away, but I still can’t bring myself to let go just yet. I’ll place something in a box and then immediately pull the item back out and spend a while staring at it lost in memories. It’s sentimental of me. I know I’m being ridiculous.”

He may have said too much.

“Suga…” Asahi was definitely worried now.

Suga rushed ahead to activate the automatic door a bit down the sidewalk, “I’m just going to run in and get the stuff for my mom. Do you want to come with me? You can leave if you need to. No worries.”

Asahi studied him a moment before replying, “Actually, I have a quick errand to run on this block too. Let’s meet up at the park on the corner in like 15?”

Suga released his tense shoulders and nodded. He fled into the store and hurried up and down the aisles to fill his basket.

Exactly 23 minutes later, he sprinted past the park entrance and spotted his friend beside a small triangular pond.

The scene was serene. Asahi was alone, his eyes closed, head tilted back, just breathing. A soft smile graced his features, and the few dark strands that had escaped his bun were caressing his cheek each time the breeze picked up. Suga admired how his friend always appeared at peace when surrounded by nature. 

Suga recalled the time he set Asahi off into a rant about properly experiencing the different seasons: eating popsicles while viewing fireworks at summer festivals, visiting Hokkaido to see the ice sculptures in the winter, hiking to the temple surrounded by red maple leaves in the fall, and sitting beneath the cherry blossom trees in spring.

The Azumane garden would certainly look gorgeous this year with the extra time that Asahi would have to dedicate to its care. Suga hoped he could frequent to see its progress.

He approached and set a hand against the former ace’s back. The boy jumped at being drawn from his meditation.

“Sorry. Did you wait long?”

“Only a minute.”

“Liar,” Suga teased.

“Here.” Asahi held out a small white bag the Suga had failed to notice prior.

Suga shifted his shopping totes to reach for the offered bag. As he pulled it closer, his nose was assaulted by the scent of vanilla and cloves.

“Is this spicy persimmons bread?” It was his favorite.

“I noticed you drooling when we passed the bakery this morning.”

“I appreciate… that’s very thoughtful. I… thank you.” He could feel his eyes stinging. “I’m sorry. I’m such a wreck this week.” He used his sweater sleeve to wipe at his face.

“Suga…” Asahi steeled himself, stepped directly in front of Suga, and pulled him into a loose hug, “Koushi, a 30-minute train ride won’t stop me or anyone else from visiting you. I promise that we won’t let you get lonely.” He released the shorter boy and coughed awkwardly into his fist. “Knowing our little crows, you might have the opposite problem and be forced to ban them, lest your apartment be torn apart by a sugar-high murder.”

Suga allowed a couple more tears to slip through as he laughed, “Jeez, you’re right! Can you imagine what the combined forces of Tanaka, Nishnoya, and Hinata could do in such a small enclosed space? You will definitely have to come too to help me chaperone. You can hold Noya and Tanaka down, and if Hinata gets out of hand... I’ll sit on him.”

“Suga, I’m not sure how effective that would be.” He imagined that if they were in an anime, Asahi would have a permanent sweatdrop drawn upon his forehead.

“I think it would work splendidly, and as a bonus, be funny as hell.”

Feeling somewhat presentable, Suga led their way out of the park and back onto the street towards home. Or was it his parent’s home now? Was his new apartment home? This was confusing.

“You know, despite your nickname in the group chat, you aren’t actually a mother crow, and Hinata is not an egg. You cannot just sit on him.”

He tapped his chin, “You are correct, sir! If anyone’s an egg, it’s probably Tanaka, considering his hair.”

Asahi whined, “That’s not what I was getting at.”

“Hold that thought.” Suga shuffled the bags around in his arms to pull his phone from his pocket.

Asahi sighed watching the fumbling display and reached out to take several of the totes from his arms. “Why do you need your phone right this instant?”

“I’m going to change Tanaka’s name in the group chat to ‘Egghead’.”

“Wouldn’t that nickname suit Ennoshita better?” Asahi panicked as he saw Suga smirk. “Wait, wait, forget I said that. You are a bad influence. Can you please not stew chaos in our friend group for one day?”

“Why? Do you really want to live a calm, boring life?”

“Maybe I do.”

“Then, you shouldn’t have befriended me.” He sang as he posted the edited nickname.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Tangled story was about me. I'm the dumbass who didn't realize they were romantic interests until the boat scene because I figured Flynn was so worldly that he must be twice Rapunzel's age. 😓 
> 
> For the record, I love DaiSuga with a passion, but that is not where I'm going with this story, and the girls deserve their happiness too.
> 
> Next Time: Killing Two Birds with One Stone


	6. Killing Two Birds with One Stone: Part 1 (Tsukishima/Yamaguchi/Yachi)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Rating: G+
> 
> Warning: Non-Graphic Sports Injury, Swearing
> 
> I have figured out that my style of writing involves getting way more in depth than originally planned out and having to split chapters and lengthen the story. I would apologize, but as a reader, I love when authors accidentally give me more content. So Enjoy~!
> 
> -

Among the life skills Suga had picked up from observing Takeda as club advisor was the not-so-subtle art of begging, and he used it to his great advantage to convince his coworkers at the campus library to trade shifts with him during the week of Karasuno’s InterHigh Prelims. Covering Aimi’s date nights and bringing his manager a whipped coffee with three shots of espresso on exam day could do wonders.

He couldn’t afford to miss every class, but with his current schedule, Suga figured that he should be able to commute to most of the games. He was expecting there to be several days worth. His kohai would no doubt fly high once again.

Asahi had tried his best to get time off at the local boutique, but he hadn’t been as successful as Suga. His intimidating looks may have been a slight on his attempt of an adorable begging pout to his grumpy old boss.

The first day of competition flew by quickly, despite the team’s couple of hiccups while settling into the new rotation.

Much had stayed the same: Tsukishima, Hinata, Nishinoya, and Kageyama remained in their starting positions. Tanaka had moved into Asahi’s spot, and Ennoshita stood proud in the opposite hitter position. No longer in Daichi’s shadow; his own brand of captain.

There was a first-year poised in the place of the final wing spiker, a boy about Tanaka’s height with spiky auburn hair and sports glasses. Suga imagined that if you tossed the rest of the team’s appearances into a blender and hit puree, you may get this boy as a result.

The kid was holding his own alright for the first tournament, but Suga suspected he needed time to work on his stamina, attack variation, and nerves. He was switched out for the majority of the second set with Kinoshita who racked up an impressive point count while he was in rotation.

Suga noticed early on that Captain Ennoshita wasn’t the only one that seemed to have gained confidence in their role on the court. All the returning members had the aura of champions radiating from them, but the difference was surprisingly most apparent on the sidelines.

Yachi was doing amazing as the lone manager. She was giving little pep talks to the boys preparing to head onto the court. She seemed to be able to predict any possible need they had ahead of time with an organized system of tape for jammed fingers, bandaids, extra sports glasses, and other items tucked into the many pockets of her duffle. The towels and water bottles were lined up like soldiers ready to march into battle. The girl was ready to take on the world.

-

The next day, rallies lengthened, and things grew more intense. Shimada was able to attend that morning, and Suga enjoyed having a soundboard for his observations.

It was during the second match of the day. The crows were falling behind on the scoreboard, and Yamaguchi was about to be brought in to pinch serve.

Shimada laughed under his breath. “I still get nervous for him every time, but it’s more like calm acceptance that I know he can handle whatever happens on the court now. Last year, I was simply busy praying to any deity I could think of.” 

“You have been an awesome mentor for Yamaguchi, and your consistent support means a lot to the team. Seriously, thank you!” Suga turned to give the older alumni a quick bow.

Suga wasn’t used to being on the receiving end of a head pat and was briefly startled by the contact.

“I think that statement applies to you now too. I’m positive that all of the players feel stronger with you here supporting them, especially the upperclassmen. And I am grateful to not be a single-person cheer squad quite as often.”

Suga shook off the hand and the praise sadly. “I’m sure my presence doesn’t make that much of a difference.” A small ball of guilt pulsed in his stomach. He should do something more to support his kohai. “Uh, do you think they might like it if I visited once in a while? Maybe on the days with the neighborhood association practice games?”

“We’d be happy to have you as an honorary member if that’s what you are asking, Sugawara-kun. There’s no need to pressure yourself though. Getting adjusted to university life can take a bit. Attending the tournament when you can means plenty to them already.”

Suga hummed in reply, not wishing to verbalize his disagreement.

He turned back towards the game and observed as Yachi leaned close to the second-year pinch server to whisper words of encouragement, and Yamaguchi reached out, his hand sliding into her’s.

_Ohhhhhhhh!_

How recent was _that_ development?

It made sense, of course. Yamaguchi had mentioned how cute he thought Yachi was when she had first joined up, but he had backed off upon seeing her budding friendship with Hinata and Kageyama. Perhaps, new team dynamics had allowed relationships to flourish?

There was another element to consider though, a tall blonde element.

Suga’s eyes darted across the court to where Tsukishima stood frozen, staring at the pair by the bench.

The university student cursed his distance, despite the fact that being closer would likely not aid him in reading Tsukishima’s expression. The boy could appear like a blank slate on command. Tsukishima was generally difficult to emotionally gage.

 _Except_ he continued to stare, even as a member of the opposing team made his running approach to serve.

The middle blocker snapped back to attention as the ball ricocheted over the top of the net and began to fall straight down on the Karasuno side. Tsukishima reacted quickly and managed to reach the ball and return it successfully for the point. The problem was… a fellow crow had already been jumping into position to receive said serve.

Suga heard his phone bounce off the floor of the bleachers before he’d realized it had slipped from his hand.

He heard a few gasps and mutters of concern from fellow audience members, but the rest of the noise: the cheers from the other games, the bounce of the balls, and the squeaks of tennis shoes, faded into background static.

His vision shifted from the current collision scene to his memory of last year when Daichi had gone down during the Wakutani game.

Suga felt just as helpless now.

It was terrifying.

Daichi had gotten up a few moments later.

…

Get up.

_Get up!_

**PLEASE GET UP!**

Suga’s fingers turned white as he clenched onto the railing that prevented him from jumping down to join his former teammates. If his friend didn’t get up in the next five seconds, he was hopping over! 6-meter drop be damned!

Ennoshita, Takeda, and Ukai snapped out of their shock first and rushed to check on the fallen crow. Suga held his breath until he saw Ukai hold out his hand. An arm rose from the floor to meet it. Ennoshita hurried to support his back as Nishinoya carefully pulled himself up onto his knees.

He was conscious. **Thank Fuck!**

Suga tried to slow his frantic heartbeat as he watched them run through the standard concussion checks. They aided the libero to stand, but he was off-kilter and clutching his left arm against his side. Noya gingerly stepped off the court, taking a second to speak to the obviously freaked out first-year who was training to be his replacement and would have to take his spot unexpectedly, and was escorted out of the sidedoor of the gymnasium by Yachi.

Once they had disappeared from view, Suga’s eyes shot back to the court.

Tanaka had a hand on Tsukishima’s arm, seemingly trying to calm him down. He knew what it felt like to accidentally injure a teammate during a competition. Suga wasn’t certain how helpful the vice captain's words were though, considering Tanaka looked equally shaken as the person he was trying to reassure. His best friend was hurt after all.

Suga quickly scanned the rest of the team. All the crows were panicking to some degree. Nishinoya had always defended their backs. He was a constant. The Guardian Deity. Without Noya…

This was bad. **Very bad.**

He knew Shimada was trying to speak to him, but he couldn’t focus enough to understand him. Suga’s vision was tunneling. All he could see was the court below; his team, his friends.

Ennoshita was gathering the team into a huddle. He was trying to pick up the pieces of their shattered confidence, but would it be enough? They needed someone on the sidelines to perk them up and encourage them to keep going until Noya could return. Someone they were close to, even the first-years. Someone who seemed ready to handle whatever came their way.

They needed their team manager.

This wasn’t like the Wakutani game. Suga didn’t have to be helpless on the sidelines. He yearned for a way to help, and now, he knew exactly what had to be done.

His senses snapped back the second the lightbulb above his head lit up. He heard the applause, smelled the Air Salonpas, and felt Shimada hands worriedly running up and down his arms as if he was preparing to catch the younger alumni if he were to pass out. His face warmed in embarrassment. Suga shook off the hands but threw a thankful look to the man beside him.

He glanced at the bench and made brief eye contact with the coach. He gave Ukai a nod, bent down to grab his phone, and bolted for the stairs to the confusion of Shimada and everyone he rushed past on his way out.

-

Suga panted sharply as he reached the door to the medical office, knocking desperately.

“I already told you, coach. I don’t need to be babied. You don’t need to kiss it and make it all better!” Noya still sounded fiery. Excellent!

Suga smiled as he sasheed into the room, “Awwwww, you sure you don’t want a kiss?”

“Suga-san!” blurted Noya with a faint blush.

“Sugawara-senpai!” Yachi squeaked simultaneously.

He glanced around the small room with a single bed and desk, seeing only the two students, “Where’s the doctor?”

“The nurse trainee went to go get her. The doctor was apparently out dealing with an ankle injury over at the girls’ tournament. They should be back shortly. I do hope they hurry,” Yachi rushed out in a single breath as she wrung her hands with increasing speed.

Suga carefully took her wrists to stop the movement. “It’s gonna be okay, Ya-chan. In and out. Meditation breathing, okay?” He emphasized his air intake until she followed his movements. “Good job. Now, I’ve got the porcupine.” A scoff came from the bed. “You go take care of the rest of our boys.”

“What?! But my job as manager…”

“Is to assist the team as best you can. Right now, they need you on the sidelines hyping them up.”

“He’s right, Yachi. I’ll be fine. Oh, and tell Tsukishima that if he loses his nerve because of this, I’ll kick his lanky ass!” Noya released his hold on his injured arm to make a shaking fist.

“Please don’t fight! And if you’re positive…”

The door swung open. A woman with a high ponytail and square glasses swept into the room, “Sorry for the wait. Let’s have a look at that shoulder, young man.”

Suga pushed Yachi gently towards the door. “Go on now. Trust us. Leave this to your senpais. I’ll text you any updates.” He shooed her out, closed the door quietly behind her, and made his way to the edge of the bed.

“How’s the pain on a scale from 1 to 10?” The doctor was taking vigorous notes down onto a clipboard.

“Like a 3.”

Suga directed a stern look at the libero, “Nishinoya Yuu, don’t lie.”

He looked down guiltily and muttered, “7… and a half.”

“Can you move your fingers for me? How about your wrist?”

He did both with a small grimace.

“Do you think you can remove your jersey top? I’d like to examine the area and possibly take some x-rays.”

His eyes shifted downward once more, and Suga realized that Noya didn’t want to admit that he couldn’t do so on his own.

“I’m his senpai. I’d be happy to aid him.” Suga jumped at the chance to do something useful.

“Alright, I will go prep the x-ray room. I have a small machine set up next door for such occasions. Be back in just a moment.” The doctor nodded politely towards him and headed into the hall.

“Thanks, Suga.”

“Not a problem. Here, we’ll get it off your right arm and head first, so you won’t have to move your left arm more than necessary.” Suga tugged the hem up with one hand and slipped his other under the fabric to pull it over the shorter boy’s uninjured shoulder.

He arched an eyebrow when he saw Noya’s face flush deeply.

The libero gluped, “Wow… first, you want to kiss me, and then, you’re taking off my clothes. This is moving kinda fast, isn’t it?” He winked as Suga pulled the jersey over his head.

“Good to know your humor is still intact, you horny idiot.” Suga ruffled the boy’s hair with a chuckle before easing the jersey over his hurt shoulder. He folded it with a flourish and lay it on the end of the bed right as the doctor returned.

Suga watched the flush slowly fade as the doctor prodded at the injury and tested Noya’s movement with the occasional muffled grunt of pain. She escorted the high schooler to get x-rays and left Suga to awkwardly shuffle around the room, reading various posters about health conditions littered across the walls.

The pair reappeared several minutes later with new paperwork.

Suga eagerly plopped into the chair beside the bed and awaited the results.

“Okay, from the looks of it, you pulled your rotator cuff rather severely. The pain made me concerned that you may have popped your shoulder or torn a muscle, but you seem to be in the clear. You are a very lucky young man. We’ll alternate cold and heat compresses, and you’ll need plenty of rest. Emphasis on the rest part. I’ll give you a few pills for the pain. They’ll probably knock you out for a bit, but you should be safe to play tomorrow should your team go on to the next round. I would like you to check in in the morning just in case though.” She placed a small bottle of meds and a water bottle on the table nearby before turning to Suga and handing him a cold compress. “I need to check in with another patient. Don’t let him overexert himself. I’ll bring a heat compress in a bit to switch it out with.”

“Of course! Thank you, Doctor!” Both boys bowed their heads as she exited the room.

Suga shot a text update to Yachi, and Noya quickly swallowed two little red pills.

Suga hopped up to fetch the water bottle and pushed it against Noya’s chest. “Okay hotshot, chug half of this and lay down.”

“Sugaaaaaaaaaaaa” He whined.

“Nope, not taking the chance of you being a dumbass and hurting yourself worse. You already caused enough panic today. I can feel my lifespan shrinking as we speak.” He sighed dramatically as he went about fussing with the pillows to try and make the bed more comfortable.

Noya was quiet for a long moment as he slipped the water and stared at the mattress. Finally, he whispered, “I’m sorry, Koushi,” in the saddest tone Suga had ever heard from his friend.

Suga leaned forward until his cheek was nearly against the sheets in order to meet his eyes, “I’m not mad, silly. I’m relieved that you’re alright. You scared me.” Being wary of his hurt shoulder, he pulled Noya against his chest and ran his fingers through the spiky hair until he felt the tension melt from the younger boy’s body. He released Noya and pushed him back against the pillows, helping him adjust position and applying the cold compress to his shoulder.

Suga stepped back to scan him over, pausing upon his expression. “Why the hell are you pouting?”

Noya gave him intense puppy eyes, “You offered to, but you still haven’t kissed it better yet.”

He rolled his eyes. “You cheeky little… Just go to sleep, Yuu!”

“Fineeeeeeeeeeee” Noya’s whine broke into a yawn as the pills started to take effect; he let his eyes flutter shut.

Suga brushed the little floof of dyed hair out of the way to brush his lips against Noya’s forehead and saw the boy unconsciously smile as he pulled away.

-

Suga had been standing vigil for about 20 minutes when he heard several hasty knocks. The doctor did not walk in as he expected, so he got up to investigate only to be met with a hysterical Asahi. He quickly shushed him, joining the taller alumni in the hall.

“When did you get here?”

The words spilled from his tongue at an alarming rate, “My boss let me leave early at about 2:30. I took the train straight here. I accidentally went to the girls’ gym first. And when I finally found the right section in the correct bleachers, Shimada told me about the collision. Please, please tell me that Yuu is okay?!”

“He’ll be fine, Asahi. Calm down.” Suga placed a steady hand on each of the former ace’s forearms. “Yuu pulled a muscle in his shoulder. As long as he rests, he should be good to play tomorrow. No lasting damage.”

Asahi clutched at the fabric over his chest. “Yuu’s existence is dangerous for my heart. Thank you for watching out for him, Koushi.”

Suga shook his head. “You don’t need to thank me for that. How’s the game going?”

“They’re behind in the third set. Without Yuu, they are definitely struggling to keep the other team from scoring.”

Suga gave Asahi’s bicep a harsh slap before turning to head down the hall, “No negativity allowed! Think I’ll go check on the rest of the team. I leave our precious kohai in your massive capable hands. Make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid, yeah?”

-

Karasuno was able to clench the win after an annoyingly long deuce, only to lose to Dateko the next day.

Suga will never admit it aloud to anyone. He doesn’t even want to admit it to himself, but underneath the disappointment, he feels slightly relieved.

Tsukishima was still off from the previous day, and Nishinoya was not letting his injury hold him back in the least. Suga felt his stomach drop each time the libero violently dove for a receive. He was terrified that the injury might worsen. A few days off to rest was what was truly required. Now, Noya had no excuse not to take care of himself.

Suga was surprised when Tanaka approached Asahi and him in the hallway after the game and asked them to join the team for dinner. They didn’t want to impose but were persuaded into going to the same restaurant and sitting at their own table nearby. Tears were a guarantee, and the alumni didn’t wish for the first-years to be bothered by them intruding on the team’s moment.

Food was eaten. Eyes overflowed. It went as expected.

After a while, Suga noticed Yachi excuse herself. He thought she was heading to the restroom near the front, but she turned to the door leading outside at the last second.

When fifteen minutes passed with no sign of her return, his concern grew overwhelming.

Suga told Asahi that he had missed a text about some mishap at the library and needed to call his coworker as soon as possible. He excused himself and stepped outside.

He glanced up and down the street but could not spot the team manager. 

Just as he was about to rush inside for backup, he heard a sniffle from around the corner of the building. Suga followed the sound on tiptoes.

Yachi was leaning against the bricks, head in her hands. His heart stung at her whimpers.

He leaned casually against the wall beside her. “You know, you can cry in front of them. I hear it’s in style tonight. Everybody’s doing it. Good team bonding and yadda yadda.”

She jumped at his voice, wiping at her face, “Sugawara-senpai! You startled me.”

“Sorry.” He gave a half-hearted shrug.

She sighed deeply, “I don’t want the boys fussing over me. They have enough emotions of their own to handle. I’ve just been overthinking a lot recently. More than usual.”

“Pardon me for asking, but... this isn’t just about the tournament, is it?”

She stared off at nothing for several seconds before shaking her head.

Suga jumped in front of her and plastered a huge grin on his face, “Maybe I can guess. Let’s see…” He tapped his chin and mimicked smoking a pipe, “How are your grades right now, young lady?”

Her lips quirked up. “My grades are perfectly fine, sir.”

He paced in front of her for a minute as she wiped her face, “Ah ha!”

She giggled at the loud sound effect.

“How about the team simpletons’ grades?”

“Nope. They are decent as well. Captain Ennoshita is very diligent about study sessions.”

“Hmmm… how’s your mom doing?”

“She’s great. She’s got this new client at work that’s really keeping her busy, but she seems to be enjoying the challenge,” Yachi proclaimed proudly.

“What else could it be hmmmmmm? Perhaps, matters of the heart?” He saw her face tint pink and clicked his tongue. “Bingo.”

Her smile faded, and she bit her lip. “It’s just a little crush. Crushes grow and fade constantly.” She looked back towards the restaurant before whispering, “I even had a crush on Kiyoko last year.”

“Honestly, who hasn’t had a crush on Kiyoko?” He chuckled softly as he reached out to pat her hair lightly. “Yachi, you can tell me anything. I won’t spread any rumors around. I promise.”

Her shoulders sagged with a sigh. “I’m not planning to act on these feelings. It’s so strange to think that a year ago, I hadn’t even met the team yet. I knew nothing about spikes or sets or anything volleyball-related. I was often alone, but now, there’s this whole squad surrounding me. The team has become like family.” She ended with a smile that became a companion to red cheeks and waving arms a moment later. “I’m sorry. That’s probably really weird to say, right?”

Suga hurried to reassure her, “No, not weird in the least. I feel the same way.”

Yachi steeled her expression. “Sugawara, volleyball means everything to them. I’m not going to jeopardize the team dynamics over an itty bitty crush. Maybe if the feelings stay and grow for the next year and half… maybe… but not right now. I’m fine with how things are.”

Suga couldn’t say he liked her thought process, but who was he to question her decision. The past two days had shown that her worries of ruining the team dynamics held some merit, unfortunately.

“I understand. That’s your choice to make.”

He watched her pull out her phone and open the camera on selfie mode to check her face. Her eyes were still rimmed in red, but that surely wasn’t unique tonight.

“Hey Yachi, do you still have my number from last year? I know you don’t speak up much in the group chat, but feel free to text me anytime. I might not answer super promptly, but I will always answer you eventually. Being people’s confidant is one of my specialities.”

She bowed her head, “That… that’s very nice of you to offer! Thank you, senpai. I’ll try not to bother you too much.”

“You’re welcome. We should head back inside before they realize how long we’ve both been gone and assume we’ve eloped to Tokyo.”

Her head popped up. “Oh dear!”

He looped his arm through hers to lead her back inside, “I mean, with any luck, your charming prince would burst in to declare his love at our impromptu ceremony.”

“Quit teasing!”

“And sadly, I would have to reject his feelings.”

“Senpai!”

“Don’t worry, Ya-chan~ I’ve never been a fan of love triangles. Someone always winds up with a broken heart.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Time: Killing Two Birds with One Stone: Part 2 (or how many misunderstandings can be squished into one chapter?)


	7. Killing Two Birds with One Stone: Part 2 (Tsukishima/Yamaguchi/Yachi)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Rating: G+
> 
> Warning: Swearing, Temporary Misunderstandings of Polyamory, OCs that exist to teach Suga about LGBT+ concepts
> 
> The University I have Suga attending does exist at the location I use in this story. Sadly, I could not find the needed references to write about the campus climate in detail, so this is vaguely based off my own school experiences pieced together. The 'Latin Language Club' was a thing at my high school for example.
> 
> This chapter is the longest so far. Please enjoy! <3
> 
> -

There were many positives to be found with having the graveyard shift at the campus library. Suga had grown into quite the night owl recently and relished the time to complete his studies while being paid for his mere existence at the front counter. He’d return a small cart of books to their shelves and assist the odd history major to organize their essay bibliography, but it was generally peaceful. The students who arrived after midnight were more often trying to scramble together last minute projects rather than hassle the staff.

The only big downside was when 4 A.M. rolled around, and the early morning shift arrived. It was then a toss up of who had to go clear out the study rooms on the third floor.

Everyone on campus knew about the three private study rooms in the back of the library’s third floor. Not many books made their way to the solitary desks of those particular rooms, and the lights were often off despite soft noises slipping from beneath the doors.

Luckily, it took only a couple months for most horny freshmen to learn to set alarms and escape by 4 A.M. less they be caught by the library workers.

Strange positive of the graveyard shift: Suga knew quite a bit about bra fashion now.

It was Friday morning, 4:13 A.M., and Aimi was uncharacteristically late. Suga technically shouldn’t leave until both staff for the next shift arrived, and he tried not to let his exhaustion from the long week intensify his anger at her tardiness.

Overall, Aimi was one of his favorite coworkers. She was the kind of person who was way too perky, way too early. He sometimes wondered just how much caffeine was poured into that thermos she toted in with her each day. Suga’s sleep deprived mind pondered if that much caffeine explained the wild brown curls that sprang haphazardly from her head as if she had jammed her finger into a power socket.

When Aimi did not come rushing in in the next five minutes as expected, her shift partner turned to Suga, “If you check the third floor, you can head out. I’ll run the desk solo until Ai-chan shows. Deal?”

He rubbed his eyes and yawned loudly. “Deal. I need to hibernate for a few months. Think the manager would notice if I don’t show up next week?”

“Definitely. Sorry, man. Go catch some zzz's.”

Suga quickly shoved his laptop and papers into his backpack and dragged his feet to the elevator. Start of the shift, he could handle the stairs. At this point, he was not going to fight gravity only to lose miserably and fall on his face.

On the third floor, he made his way past the study rooms that lined the west side, spying several occupied by students frantically typing and jotting down notes from stacks of books. When he skirted around the final bookshelf, he grit his teeth. The middle of the three back _study_ rooms was dark but definitely occupied from the rustling of fabric.

Suga knocked the customary three times. “Library Staff. You have 30 seconds to gather your belongings and prepare to leave the study room.” He leaned his forehead against the cold door and counted under his breath.

At 30, he rolled his eyes and straightened up, “Library Staff. I’m coming in.”

Upon opening the door, he saw a familiar head of brown curls, extra wild from her interrupted activities jump back from a smaller girl who held her shirt closed over her chest in a tight fist, seemingly not having had time to close the buttons properly.

Suga was too tired for this bullshit.

“What the fuck, Aimi?!”

“Koushi, it’s not what it looks like. Shit, what time is it?” Aimi began searching her coat pockets looking for her cell.

“You are almost a half an hour late, but who even fucking cares at this point? No wonder I’ve been covering so many date nights for you! You are two-timing your boyfriend _in the library_ WHERE YOU WORK! **WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!** ” Suga felt his eye twitch as he shouted.

He opened his mouth to continue his rant but was halted when the smaller girl stepped into his space and threw her hands up in a placating manner, “Please quiet down before both of you get fired. We can explain everything.”

Aimi approached them cautiously, placing an arm around the girl’s shoulders, leaning in to whisper, “Azumi, are you sure?”

Azumi turned towards her, “We don’t really have a choice here, Aimi. This is the coworker you’ve talked about, correct? You wanted to trust him. This is just a push to do so earlier.” She took a deep breath before meeting his gaze. “May I call you Koushi?”

He stared at her serious dark blue eyes and saw flecks of silver in them. Or maybe that was his hair reflecting? Or maybe he was hallucinating from exhaustion? This was too much. He rubbed his temples with a moan. “If it lets me sleep sooner, you can call me whatever you want.”

She gave a sympathetic little smile. “Koushi, if you are available, there are some people we’d like you to meet. 7 P.M. tonight. Room 110 on the foreign language floor of building B. Please come! We will answer any questions you have there.” She reached forward to pat his shoulder. “In the meantime, you look dead on your feet, so go home and rest. I’ll get Ai-chan down to cover the desk as soon as possible.”

He felt another hand take his other shoulder and looked over to see Aimi biting her lip and avoiding his eyes.

“It’s best not to argue with Azumi. She can be stubborn as a mule. Go get some sleep Ko-kun, and please come tonight. Please!” Aimi raised her head with sparkling puppy eyes, and he cursed under his breath.

-

Suga always liked to believe the best of people. This was why he found himself standing outside of Room 110 approximately fifteen hours after walking in on his coworker in such a compromising position.

He squared his shoulders and entered the classroom to find a circle of about a dozen desks. Students sat in conversation with drinks and snacks a plenty. All laughter and joyful voices died as they noticed his lingering presence in the doorway.

Aimi shyly waved to him from the far side of the room where she was perched on her boyfriend’s lap while Azumi picked up a plate of sweets from a desk and approached him as the room observed curiously. “Thanks for coming, Koushi! Welcome to the official Latin Language Club. Were you able to get any sleep after the um... incident?”

Suga scanned the room and ran a nervous hand through his hair upon seeing so many eyes sizing him up. He felt like a wounded gazelle who had accidentally stumbled into a lion’s den. “I think I might still be dreaming.”

Azumi glanced back at the group with a sigh. “Guys, we’ve talked about this. Stop freaking out the newbies.” She turned back sheepishly. “Sorry. Both about earlier and your current confusion. You know, Aimi told me a compelling tale of you setting up your coach and club advisor in high school. Everyone here would _love_ to hear it from the original source if you don’t mind. Oh, but first, try one of Miki’s macaroons. She’s our resident baker. Best desserts on campus guaranteed!” She winked and snatched up an item from the plate with her perfectly manicured nails.

A pink sandwich cookie was pressed into his palm, and Suga nibbled the edge. It tasted like what he had imagined sakura blossoms to taste like as a child, and he shoved the rest into his mouth greedily before realizing he still held the attention of everyone in the room.

“It’s delicious! My compliments to the chef.” He noted as the tension exhaled out of the room and a petite girl with a short black bob smiled at him and nodded in response to the comment.

Suga sashied into the center of the circle of desks and gave a twirl, “So, you wanted to hear the tale of the lovestruck leaders of the Karasuno murder?” His eyes twinkled as he recounted the story of his meddling, playing up the drama. He was greatly amused to have an audience that seemed entranced despite not personally knowing those involved.

He bowed at the conclusion.

Laughter and applause rang through the room.

“How romantic!”

“I can’t believe you pulled that off!”

“I can’t believe you are alive to tell the tale!”

Azumi giggling, leapt up from her seat, “Our turn now. This is the official Latin Language Club, but it’s actually a cover.” She put her finger to her lips and lowered her voice, “This is secretly the LGBT+ campus group. The University isn’t quite ready to let us out of the closet yet. We have to be careful who we let in, and we keep this all very hush hush. We hope you will protect our truth, even if you should choose not to join us.”

His answer was immediate. “I won’t endanger you. Thank you for trusting me.”

A grin bloomed across her face. “Good. Now as for Aimi and I, have you heard of polyamory?”

He remembered seeing that word on the LGBT+ terms site that Ennoshita had linked in the group chat. “I have vague knowledge of the concept.”

“Aimi and I are in a polyamourous relationship with Yasuo and Miki. The four of us are all together with each other’s knowledge and consent. Yasuo is the stupid lucky one that gets to be super romantic in public without question.”

Aimi’s boyfriend piped up, “How many times do I have to apologize for being male-presenting?”

“I’m just teasing, babe! Because Aimi, Miki, and I are all female-presenting, we need to be quieter with our full affections. That’s what led to the incident this morning of which I am extremely sorry. It was my idea that I pressured Aimi into.” She bowed so low that Suga was afraid she would tip over, and a few members of the group chuckled at the display.

He glanced over to meet his coworker’s anxious gaze. “If you make sure Aimi arrives on time for her future shifts, then it’s fine.” A collective sigh. “But I have some questions about how the whole polyamourous relationship thing works, if that’s okay?”

Azumi flounced over to sit between her partners and gestured to the room at large. “We’ll entertain whatever questions you have, Matchmaker Koushi.”

-

Suga was singing to himself over the sizzle of stir fry on his apartment stove when he heard his phone begin to ping and ping and ping. After the 23rd ping, he lowered the heat and pulled up the group chat currently titled “Karasuno Senpai Squad Goals”, consisting of the twelve players from last year, plus the two managers.

**Dadchi:** SOS! Kuroo keeps trying to get Yui and I to go on double dates with him and Kenma!

 **Dadchi:** I’ve only been dating her for three months- I don’t need rooster head giving her a heart attack!

 **Dadchi:** _@Snarkyshima @Sunshine_ How do I get Kuroo to lay off?

 **Sunshine:** OMG DOUBLE DATES! THAT SOUNDS AWESOME!!!!!!!!

 **Snarkyshima:** If I knew how to escape Kuroo, don’t you think I would have gotten that cocky cat to piss off a while ago?

 **Sunshine:** oi! we know you dont dislike kuroo- you aint fooling no one

 **Snarkyshima:** I will not dignify that horrid use of grammar with a proper response. Remember, if you fail the test next week, you can kiss training camp farewell. 

**Sunshine:** then help me study

 **Snarkyshima:** No.

 **Dadchi:** Can someone please log in that is actually helpful for social situations?

 **Sunshine:** but TSUKKKKKIIIII! we had so much fun hanging out with the gym 3 gang last time

 **Sunshine:** you know you’d miss me

 **Snarkyshima:** 1.) Fun is a great exaggeration. 2.) I’d miss you like a fish misses a bicycle.

 **Sunshine:** sorry i tuned you out after the words -i’d miss you-

 **Snarkyshima:** You can’t tune me out. We’re in the fucking messenger app, shit-for-brains!

 **CaptainEgghead:** _@Snarkyshima_ Do we need to talk about appropriate language to use when speaking to your teammates again?

 **Snarkyshima:** ...

 **Snarkyshima:** Sorry, Hinata.

 **ViceViceBaby:** HAHAHAHAH! Get Wrecked You Gangly Bastard!

 **CaptainEgghead:** _@ViceViceBaby_ Tanaka^

 **ViceViceBaby:** sorry Tsukishima.

 **Sunshine:** WAIT WAIT- i have evidence of tsukki having a good time with us though

 **Sunshine:** _*Click to Download File*_ seeeeeeeee!

Suga pressed the download button and chuckled at the photo that appeared on his screen.

Tsukishima was in the center of the image sitting at a semi-circular table. A delicate plate holding a large slice of shortcake stacked high with a tower of strawberries and whipped cream was perched on the pink tablecloth. The blonde middle blocker was trying to lick away a bit of cream from the edge of his lips and his eyes held a rarely seen sparkle of joy. He was obviously unaware of the camera.

Kuroo and Bokuto were sitting on either side of him with huge grins plastered across their faces.

Akaashi was next to Bokuto. A small spoon sticking from his mouth as he snuck a glance at his companions, and a sundae covered in nuts placed upon the table in front of him.

Hinata was on Kuroo’s other side, wolfing down a pastry shaped like a cat’s head. One hand was blurred in a motion to catch the red bean paste that appeared to be bursting from the bottom.

Lev had been cropped out of the photo, but there were unmistakably long pale arms creating bunny ears behind Hinata and Kuroo’s heads.

Suga saved the photo to the ‘Karasuno Kohai’ album in his phone gallery before reopening the chat.

**Snarkyshima:** Impressive what one can do with photoshop these days.

 **Sunshine:** falsehood- that image is 100% genuine from kenmas phone

 **FloatingOnBi:** _@Snarkyshima_ That’s at the award-winning Tokyo cafe you were ranting about, isn’t it? You look adorable, Tsukki! <3

 **FloatingOnBi:** _@Sunshine_ Could you send me the full quality image please~? :3

 **Snarkyshima:** Shut up, Yamaguchi. Shrimp, don’t send him anything!

 **Sunshine:** _@FloatingOnBi_ ill pm u :)

 **Snarkyshima:** _@FloatingOnBi_ Whatever you are plotting, tread carefully. I know where you live.

 **FloatingOnBi:** _@Snarkyshima_ I’m not plotting anything~ <3

 **Snarkyshima:** _@FloatingOnBi_ That “~” says differently.

 **SugaRush:** _@FloatingOnBi_ Did you pick up the “~” use from me~? I’m SO proud of you, bby boi!

 **FloatingOnBi:** _@SugaRush_ Thanks, Mom~! <3

 **Dadchi:** Why did I think any of you would be helpful? OTL

 **SugaRush:** _@Dadchi_ Give me 10 minutes to finish cooking and I’ll pm you~

 **Dadchi:** _@SugaRush_ Thanks Mom!

 **SugaRush:** _@Dadchi_ You’re Welcome, Daddy~

 **Dadchi:** No. Just No.

-

Suga’s lightning strike of brilliance hit during the Latin Language Club’s movie night six weeks later. They had been progressing through the Twilight Series, mostly watching to roast the movies, although a few members appeared to have misty eyes during the emotional scenes.

The film was interrupted by Yasuo’s loud groan from where he was cuddling between Aimi and Miki on the main couch in Azumi’s living room. “There is no trope I hate more than love triangles!”

Azumi passed Suga the bowl of popcorn as she responded, “I know, right? If authors just opened their narrow minds to the possibilities of polyamory, we could have happy triads and quads all over the place! Not that it would work for everyone, but I mean, would it kill them to consider it once in a while?”

CRACK!

The lightning strike.

Oh, no, wait… that was the popcorn bowl falling and hitting the edge of the table.

Azumi ducked to grab it at the last moment before it flipped over and spilled across the carpet. “Butter fingers much, Koushi?”

“Sorry. Nice receive!”

“Nice what now?” 

“Volleyball term. I meant: nice catch! I just remembered that I have to make an important phone call.”

“Want us to pause the movie?”

“No, don’t worry about it. Mind if I go out on your balcony for a few?”

“Be my guest.”

Suga excused himself from the group and took a seat on one of the plastic chairs placed out to enjoy the evening air.

He opened the ‘Karasuno Kohai’ album in his phone’s gallery. Scrolling through the images of the younger crows, he paid special attention to those containing Yamaguchi, Tsukishima, and Yachi. Open your mind to the possibilities. Could this be the solution?

Suga had never seen a polyamorous relationship before meeting the Latin Language Club, but Aimi, Yasuo, Azumi, and Miki were utterly content and their love for one another was apparent from the first time he saw all of them interact.

If he introduced the concept to them, he was fairly sure he could get Yachi and Yamaguchi on board. The question was Tsukishima. Suga wasn’t certain how he would respond to the idea. The best person to discuss Tsukishima with would be Yamaguchi, but for obvious reasons, he couldn’t do that with this matter.

Who else knew Tsukishima well enough to talk about this with?

He came across the photo from the Tokyo cafe that Hinata had sent to the group chat.

Perfect!

Suga beamed as he pulled up the rarely used contact and hit call.

“Hello?” a calm voice answered.

Suga bellowed out his best ace owl impression, “Hey, Hey, Hey, how’s the most beautiful high school setter slash captain in Tokyo?”

“I don’t know. I’ll text Kenma and find out.” Akaashi’s smirk was obvious even through monotone.

“Kuroo will be mad to hear you saying such things about his man. And you really have no response to the ‘Hey Hey Hey’?”

“I find that the best way to prevent such annoyances from repeating is to ignore them. And Kuroo would be pleased as a cat with a fresh saucer of milk to know that others are appreciating his little _kitten_.”

Suga flopped back on the chair and instantly regretted it as his elbow hit the edge. He rubbed the ache gently. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

“I usually am when it comes to tall, muscular goofballs. Why did you call me, Sugawara-san?”

“You still hang out with the Gym 3 group, right?”

“If you are worried about Bokuto adopting Hinata, I’ve already explained to him that the logistics will not fly, especially since he has now graduated.”

Suga guffawed, “Glad to hear it, but actually, this call is about my other baby crow.”

“If it’s about Tsukishima, why aren’t you asking his freckled best friend?”

“I can’t. Yamaguchi is kind of involved in the situation.”

Akaashi didn’t respond for a few seconds, and Suga pulled the phone away to check if he had hung up before he heard a strong exhale. “You can ask your question only if you don’t beat around the bush. I prefer people to be straightforward. Also, keep in mind my limited knowledge of any involved parties. Being privy to one especially-chaotic-group-chat does not make me an all-knowing god.”

“How much do you know about Yamaguchi?”

“Enough to know that the romantic tension between Tsukki and him could be used as a tightrope to cross from the Tokyo tower to the highest mountain top of Miyagi.”

“That's enough. What do you know about Karasuno's current manager?”

“She is easily intimidated and sweet. The short blonde catches almost as many eyes as your previous manager but appears much more oblivious to it. The other team managers at camp appreciate her presence immensely; they protect her from wandering eyes and aid with her anxiety issues. Apparently, she is an excellent cook as well and has been teaching the girls new recipes during camp.”

Suga stored away this knowledge for possible future use.

The crow alumni cleared his throat. “Based on my recent observations, I believe our manager and Yamaguchi have developed feelings for one another but refuse to act on them for fear of disrupting team dynamics. My question for you is: how do you think Tsukishima would feel about _~sharing~_ Yamaguchi?”

Akaashi clicked his tongue, “You’ve seen that photo from the Tokyo cafe, haven’t you? The one with the strawberry shortcake?”

“Yes, that image contains the most pure joy I’ve ever seen on Tsukishima’s face.”

“I believe that Tsukki would rather give the last piece of that heavenly cake that will ever exist to Ushiwaka than share Yamaguchi as you are suggesting.”

Not the ideal answer, but... “Follow up question: how would Tsukishima feel about having not one partner but TWO cuties showering his tsundere ass with affection?”

A pause. “I don’t know, Sugawara.”

“Do me a favor and run the simulations in your head real quick. I hear that’s your specialty.”

“Who told… fine.” This pause lasted over a minute this time. Then, he heard a faint whisper, “I think it’s possible.”

Suga leapt up with a whoop, “HELL YES!”

Akaashi scolded, “I said ‘Possible’. Not likely. Not even probable.”

He was dancing around the balcony in excitement, “Possible is all I’m looking for. Thanks, Akaashi-kun! As reward for your great encouragement of my magnificent scheme, I shall be adding you to my list.”

Akaashi’s voice cracked, “List? What list?”

“Toodles~”

“I don’t want to be on your list, Sugawara-san. There is no need to...”

Suga hung up and turned from his victory booty shakes to see Azumi looking out the window, leaning against the side panel as laughter enveloped her entire form.

-

Suga was eager to set his plan in motion now that he finally had one.

The next morning, he hopped on the train towards his childhood home and joined the crows for Saturday practice. There was something wonderful about walking into that familiar gym and being tackled by his spirited kohai who always acted like they hadn’t seen him in years, even if it had only been a week. Ruffling Hinata’s bright hair that tickled his chin, widening his stance for stability as Noya hopped up on his back, and listening to Ennoshita scold the latter in his sharp captain tone. Suga felt at home here.

His official mission today was to observe the spiking practice of the first-years and offer advice on adjustments for both the young spikers’ forms and on Kageyama’s sets to them. He remained focused on this task until the lunch break.

With a practice game coming afterwards, his prey was trapped. He approached the tall middle blocker as the blonde returned from the washroom.

Tsukishima was not surprised and scoffed as the alumni advanced on him, “Ahh, so you are the cavalry.”

Suga’s eyebrow shot up. “Pardon?”

“I was threatened by Vice Captain Baldy that if I didn’t get my head in the game, they would ‘ _call in the cavalry_ ’ so to speak.” Tsukishima rolled his eyes and moved to grab his water bottle, and Suga trailed behind him.

“Ha, I suppose I am the cavalry then. Neigh Neigh. Can we take a trot and talk for a bit?”

Tsukishima swallowed a long drink before responding, “Depends... are Kuroo, Bokuto, and/or Daichi waiting around the corner to ambush me?”

“Nope, it’s just me, single mother crow at your service.” Suga saluted.

“Okay. You get ten minutes.”

Suga escorted the second-year out the gym doors and towards the field opposite the rest of the team’s picnicking. He kept his tone light, airly, and cheerful, “I hear that you’ve been out of sorts since the collision at Prelims? Now, I could talk your ear off about how accidents happen and Noya is not mad and has healed up just fine, but I know that that’s not what is still bothering you almost two months later. At first it did, but you wouldn’t let those thoughts fester. No siree. Those sort of things you’d face head on. _This_ is about what distracted you during that game, a certain pair of hazel eyes with a dusting of freckles beneath them. So... when did you realize you were in love with Tadashi?”

“I’M NOT IN LOVE WITH TADASHI!” Tsukishima’s hand flew up to cover his mouth at the end of his outburst. He swivelled frantically to ensure that he wasn’t overheard before looking back to see a sly smile on his senpai’s face. He hissed low, “I’m not! I just…” 

The alumni sing-songed, “Want to spend all your time by his side? Hold his hand? Press your lips against his lips? And also kiss every single one of his freckles. Because if the answer is yes, I have news for you, Tsukki~” Suga drew out the nickname in a very familiar way.

Tsukishima’s shoulders stiffened. “Don’t do that.”

“What’s wrong? Is saying your name in that tone a boyfriend’s only privilege?”

His shoulders drooped. “Yamaguchi doesn’t like me like _that_.”

Suga karate-chopped directly in the center of the short blonde spikes, “It’s funny that you can be so smart and, at the same time, so dumb. Anyone with eyes can see how he feels about you.”

Tsukishima moved to realign his crooked glasses. “That’s completely ridiculous. He likes Yachi. He has told me that himself multiple times.”

Suga pretended to be distracted studying his nails. “Yamaguchi has two hands, Tsukishima. Liking one person doesn’t negate liking someone else. His heart has plenty of love to give. Yachi’s heart is overflowing too by the by.”

The blonde narrowed his eyes and glared down at his senpai. “What are you getting at?”

“I’ve noticed how close you all have gotten. She’s cute, huh? They both are! And this past year has given each of them a real confidence boost. It’s, dare I say, a little sexy?” The shoulder shimmy in addition to the teasing tone may be too much.

“You’re pushing it.”

Definitely too much. “That’s not a no~”

The younger twisted away to flee, and Suga had to catch his elbow to pull him back at the last second. “Hear me out Tsukishima. You and Yachi. The science museum. A couple of hours tomorrow afternoon. I’ll come too and wander the building on my own. Not looming but there, just in case it goes sour. If you two can see any romantic possibilities between you, we’ll know how to move forward. If not, it was a nice afternoon with a friend. You never have to even tell Yamaguchi if you don’t want to.”

Suga watched as the hand attached to the arm he was holding tightened into a fist. He didn’t breathe until the fist fell open, and Tsukishima turned back towards him, staring at the grass between them.

“Sugawara, you don’t have to do this. I know you have an obsession with romantic relationships, but I’m honestly not the dating type. I am a smartass. This is a known fact. I embrace this fact. The only reason Yamaguchi is friends with me is because no matter how many times I’ve told him to shut up or go away over the years, he never listens. He deserves…” A shudder ran through his body before he finally met Suga’s gaze. “He deserves someone better than me.”

Suga looked up at his kohai with a soft smile. “You’ll have to learn to be better then because guess what? He wants you.”

Tsukishima’s eyes were undeniably glossy as he snapped, “That’s stupid. It would never work. Yachi is cute, sweet, and kind. I’m snarky, mean, and pessimistic. They would be great for each other. I do not need to be in the picture, tainting their perfect happiness. Guess what?! Your ten minutes are up!” He stomped back towards the gym.

Suga rushed to keep up. “Hey! You don’t know how it will turn out unless you try. Come on. One afternoon?” He jumped into his path. “Try for Tadashi?”

Tsukishima froze and aimed a fierce scowl at him, “How long on average do people spend with you before they realize how manipulative you are?”

Suga pulled out his best puppy eyes and adorable pout.

“One afternoon.”

-

Suga will admit that despite what he told Tsukishima the day before, parting ways with Yachi and him at the entrance to the museum dropped a heavy weight upon his chest. He was very worried that his plan would somehow mess up the friendship between the three of them and therefore the entire team dynamic.

No, he had to believe that they were strong enough to handle it. Considering the collision, the team already had major issues. They couldn’t endure like this. Something had to change.

Suga distracted himself with the sparkling stones of the geology wing for over an hour before he happened upon the pair again.

He was walking on the upper level near a courtyard area. The floor was open in the center on all the levels to fit a large dinosaur skeleton. Suga had stepped up to the railing to study the huge pointed teeth when he spied them down below. 

Yachi was leaning forward to have a closer look at the claws and lost her balance. Suga felt his heart skip, but Tsukishima had wrapped his arms around the short girl’s waist, picked her up, and placed her smoothly back on her feet. He watched as the tall middle blocker rubbed down her arms in a comforting manner, and she moved to take his hands. It was many seconds before they both appeared to realize they remained holding hands and simultaneously jumped back with identical pink cheeks. 

Suga chuckled as he observed a blushing Tsukishima offer his hand out for her, and she took it with a smile.

This was better than he had hoped for. They were so awkwardly cute together, and everything was progressing marvelously. 

A sudden movement from the corner of his vision distracted him.

On the other side of the courtyard, Yamaguchi stood gawking with wide eyes at the pair. His camera bag was dropped at his feet, and his shoulders began to heave as he snatched up the bag and ran towards the nearest source of sunlight.

SHIT! SHIT! SHIT!

Suga bolted in the same direction, taking the stairs at the end of the hall three at a time, and nearly face-planting at the bottom.

This was all his fault!

**SHIT!**

He burst out of the lower hallway just quick enough to see Yamaguchi sprint into the botanical gardens. The boy was so panicked he probably didn’t realize he had trapped himself instead of escaping. At least that was good news for Suga’s stamina.

It took a few minutes of wandering through the flowers to encounter him. The younger boy was curled up on a bench near the back of the garden hidden behind a circle of hedges with his hands covering his face as he wept loudly.

Suga felt himself tear up as he quietly sat beside him and placed a hand on his back. “Tadashi?”

Yamaguchi pulled away and curled up more into himself, squeaking out, “I’ll be fine. I just need a moment.”

Suga reached out again and insisted, “No, listen, I think you have the wrong idea. Please, let me explain. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Tadashi! I wasn’t expecting you to show up at the museum today. I didn’t think about how you would react if you saw them.” He choked on his guilt when the hands fell and the younger boy looked up at him red-faced and sniffling. Shoving the emotions back down, he continued, “You know about how I got the honeymoon suite for Ukai and Takeda after Nationals, and how I pushed Michimiya into confessing to Daichi a few months ago?”

Yamaguchi pawed uselessly at the still flowing tears. “I understand. You were setting up Hitoka and Tsukki, right? They make a wonderful couple. They are both intelligent and beautiful. They will be perfect together.”

Suga grabbed his hands to stop him from possibly injuring himself and shouted to cut him off, “All three of you are perfect together dammit!” 

“I… I...”

Suga squeezed his fingers gently and forced himself to speak calmly, “You and Tsukishima have always been a pair. Everyone who has seen your interactions knows how much you care for each other. And Yachi and you have worked so hard to build your confidence together. You looked dumbfounded the first time she strolled through the gym doors, and I know she admires how strong you’ve grown. You like both of them. I can tell, and I thought, maybe there was a way where you wouldn’t have to pick. If all three of you can date one another, then no one has to be left behind! I should have been upfront with you about what I was planning. I’m so sorry.” He lowered his head in shame.

Yamaguchi croaked out a murmur, “Is that possible?”

Suga jolted up. “What?”

Yamaguchi clutched onto the hands holding his and whined desperately, “Three people dating... isn’t that cheating?”

He shook his head. “It’s not! You’d be surprised what extracurricular activities in university can teach you. Relationships are all about communication. As long as it’s all consensual, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a triad or even more than three people hooking up.”

“ _Extracurricular activities_ … is that code for-” Yamaguchi suddenly yanked his hands away to wave them wildly. “ACTUALLY NEVERMIND! I don’t think I want to know what you’ve been up to. Please forget I asked, senpai!”

Suga laughed at his assumptions, “It’s actually code for me joining the secret hush hush LGBT+ group on campus.”

Yamaguchi pouted, “You could have said that in the first place.”

Suga grinned sheepishly, “I know. I may have been distracting you on purpose~ So you see, I was trying to nudge Yachi and Tsukishima together because I thought maybe if they both warmed up to the idea of something being between them, it would be simple for you to simultaneously sweep both of them off their feet. You can be quite charming when you wish.” He poked at his kohai’s temple.

Yamaguchi shooed his hand away. “That’s not true at all. I’m super clumsy and awkward and…”

He was cut off by the sound of hurried footfalls as Tsukishima and Yachi appeared from around the hedges.

Tsukishima had a palm against his chest as his lungs worked to regain oxygen. He gasped out, “Tadashi!”

Yachi was leaning over with her hands on her knees, panting even harder. “We noticed you racing off. Are you okay?!”

Yamaguchi jumped up to reassure them, “I’m okay. I’m okay.” He was startled by the long arms that pulled him up against his best friend.

A small body hugged him from behind. He was stuck between them. “Don’t scare us like that!”

“Oh... sorry.” He glanced over to Suga who gave him an enthusiastic thumbs up.

Yamaguchi took a deep breath and broke the embrace, stepping back to face the two blondes. “I’d like to say something if you both are willing to listen.”

Another deep breath. He shut his eyes and declared, “I like you. Both. Both of you.”

After a moment, he opened his eyes to discover a set of matching smiles accompanied with deep blushes. “Cute” spilled past his lips without permission and he stammered to continue, “S-Suga-senpai said some...something about relationships with three people, and it probably sounds greedy of me, but I’d maybe... kinda... like to try that… if… if you want to that is… and I understand if you don’t want that or don’t want me and uh…”

Tsukishima broke his rambling, “Shut up, Yamaguchi.”

“Sorry, Tsukki.” He replied automatically.

“I’ll do it.”

“Kei, you don’t have to.”

Tsukishima strode forward. He tucked a piece of hair behind his friend’s ear and gently cupped his face tracing his pointer finger over the freckles on his skin. “I want to. Tadashi, you’ve always been like the stars surrounding my moon. I never want to imagine how dark my sky would be without you.”

Yamaguchi nuzzled against the fingers and purposefully fluttered his eyelashes. “That was really corny, Kei.”

“I can stand being uncool once in a while, if it’s for you.” He pressed their foreheads together with a content sigh.

Yachi cooed softly, “Awww! ‘I like corny; I’m looking for more corny in my life.’”

Suga recognized that wording and tilted towards her to mumble, “Did you just quote ‘The Holiday?’”

“Y-yes?”

“Yachi is officially my new favorite kohai.” Suga proclaimed loudly, causing the pair of childhood friends to remember their audience and pull apart from their intimate position.

Yamaguchi smiled shyly at Yachi, “Hitoka, if Tsukki is the moon, and I’m the stars, you’re like…” He tapped his chin as he thought.

She piped in to fill the silence, “I could be an astrodroid maybe? Just crashing in from out of nowhere.”

“Not an astrodroid.” Tsukishima huffed and crossed his arms childishly.

“Why not?” she questioned with honest curiosity.

Yamaguchi smiled conspiratorially, “Tsukki holds a grudge against astrodroids for killing off the dinosaurs. He has been obsessed with dinosaurs since way before we even met. He has figurines and books and plushies all over his room.”

Suga wondered if this relationship might result in people believing Tsukishima had a permanent sunburn. “Shut up, Yamaguchi.”

Yachi returned Yamaguchi’s sneaky smile. “That’s pretty cute.”

“Isn’t it?”

She turned to address the taller boy, “I’d like to view your collection someday.”

Tsukishima failed to hide his even-increasing blush with a fake cough behind his fist. “Hitoka, I’m not sure what celestial body you are yet in this ridiculous metaphor, but I think you might belong in the sky too. Would you care to find out with us?” He held his hand out to her, mirroring the earlier gesture in the courtyard.

She took the hand in her own. “Do you truly mean that?”

He nodded.

Yamaguchi carefully took her other hand, “Please say yes!”

Yachi’s eyes widened as she flipped to look at Tsukishima, then Yamaguchi, then back to Tsukishima, and back again. Her reply was piecey, “This is rather overwhelming. You both are so tall and um… handsome… and both of you… I um… yes?”

A hint of Tsukishima’s snark spilled out, “Are you asking or telling?”

“YES!” She blurted out. “I mean yes, I want to try this whole three-person thing.”

Yamaguchi took Tsukishima’s remaining hand into his, completing the circle. He looked at both of them in awe. “Wow. Are we really going to do this? I feel so lucky. I have the two smartest, most adorable dorks as my dates. Oh, speaking of, I’m sorry Hitoka, I’m sure Tsukki’s been talking your ear off all day considering you were in the science museum.”

“I didn’t mind. I like to learn about new interesting topics, regardless of subject matter. Tsukki’s voice is incredibly calming. I feel so relaxed listening to him.”

Tsukishima no longer had an available hand to hide his blush behind. “I know your birthday is coming up soon. How about we plan a date to the art museum? That way you can take a turn educating us about something you love.”

Her eyes sparkled. “Are you sure? You guys wouldn’t be bored?”

Yamaguchi bumped playfully against her side. “Of course not. Hinata and Kageyama claim that you are a very engaging teacher. We’d love to see Yachi-sensei in action!”

“I’d enjoy that immensely.” The excitement she radiated was contagious.

Tsukishima released their hands and rubbed the back of his neck looking towards the exit. “There’s a cafe down the street that I saw an ad for recently. They have various teas and lots of little desserts. Would you two wish to see what all the hype is about?”

Yachi skipped towards the direction he pointed in. “Do they have chocolate?!”

Yamaguchi snickered at her actions. “Most likely.”

“I am quite fond of chocolate.”

“I’m sure we can find something you’d like.” Tsukishima glanced at Yamaguchi before adding, “The ad featured a salted caramel sundae.” Of course Tsukishima would know Yamaguchi’s weaknesses.

The freckled boy mimed fanning himself. “A man after my own heart. Catch me Hitoka, I’m going to swoon.”

She giggled as he draped himself across her shoulders.

Suga needed a nap after all the drama of these three. He yawned noisily, “I’ll leave you to it then. Again, sorry that I got a bit overzealous.”

Tsukishima nodded towards him. “I’m glad you meddled. This time at least.”

Yamaguchi piped up, “Are you coming to practice next Saturday?”

“Nothing can keep me from watching over my little crows.”

“See you then, senpai!” Yachi waved as they headed out.

He watched them trail off towards the garden’s exit with Yamaguchi in the middle, Tsukishima intertwining his fingers with those on his right hand, and Yachi nervously clutching his left.

-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, this multishipper need a nap.
> 
> Next Time: Valentine's Day Drama


End file.
